


Play With Fire (Alternate Version)

by the_savage_daughter_0627



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Ba Sing Se, Badass Toph Beifong, College, Dog Appa (Avatar), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Eventual Romance, F/M, Flirting, Gen, Humor, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inappropriate Humor, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Iroh (Avatar) loves Tea, Minor Aang/Katara, Minor Mai/Zuko, Music, One-sided Aang/Katara (Avatar), POV Katara (Avatar), Past Jet/Katara (Avatar), Romance, Sexual Humor, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko Friendship, University, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:15:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 59,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27430357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_savage_daughter_0627/pseuds/the_savage_daughter_0627
Summary: He was an enigma; a puzzle she wanted to solve. She was an open book, and he wanted to get lost in her pages.This is an "alternate" version of the original story. The only difference is this one is expletive-free so my wonderful beta, FireLadyFae, could work on it with me. I'll still be posting to both versions every week!
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1: New Soul

**Author's Note:**

> So, as you may know, my usual beta, LadyFaePhillips/FireLadyFae, was unable to work with me on my original version of Play With Fire as some of the content (namely, the use of expletives) was triggering for her, so I opted to use another beta-reader. Unfortunately, that beta ended up not panning out, which is why PWF has not been updated in almost 2 months. However, I have not abandoned that work!
> 
> In fact, I've been working with LadyFae on this version of PWF and adding her edits to the original version of PWF. And now that we've wrapped up The Conduit, we will be turning our focus to PWF (both the "dirty" version and the "clean" version) as well as any one-shots I come up with. We are going to be uploading between 1-3 chapters of PWF each week.
> 
> I'll be re-uploading the original 9 chapters of PWF (DV) I currently have with LadyFae's edits before posting any new chapters. This "new version" differs from the original only in the sense that this one has no cussing. It will be the same otherwise.
> 
> Thank you guys so much!

_See, I’m a young soul in this very strange world,_

_Hoping I could learn a bit ’bout what is true and fake._

_But why all this hate? Try to communicate._

_Finding trust and love is not always easy to make._

**“New Soul” by Yael Naim**

* * *

  
  


_Shoot me down, but I won’t fall. I am titanium…_

Her brother tapped her shoulder. Katara pulled the headphone from her ear, cutting off Sia, and looked at her older brother. “Hm?”

He gestured out the windshield at the road ahead of them. “We’re almost there. There’s the school.”

Katara looked. Indeed, they _were_ almost there: she could see the gilded green roofs of Ba Sing Se University rising over the nearby office buildings. The sight caused butterflies to batter the walls of her stomach and Katara quelled them. _You needed this,_ she reminded herself firmly. _You’re going to be fine._

Sokka looked at his sister. His lips quirked down for a moment before he asked, “You sure it’s not too late to get you to change your mind?”

Katara gave him a thin-lipped smile. “We’ve been over this. If I did that, I would miss a semester. That would put me behind and put my scholarship at risk.” She huffed out a breath. “I didn’t want to change schools either, but there’s not much I can do about it. It’s for the best.”

“I know. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

_I don’t like it either,_ Katara thought but didn’t say. There was no reason to. She had changed colleges after her freshman year for a good reason. Nothing either of them said was going to change that.

Instead she said, “I’m gonna be fine, Sokka.”

Sokka didn’t say anything. He turned down Campus Road and suddenly the university loomed over them. Katara swallowed hard and took a slow, deliberate breath. She had almost forgotten how big the campus was—she had been there once, for her interview at the beginning of the summer, after she had made the decision to transfer. Sokka had brought her up for it too. The campus was easily twice the size of Gaoling University. 

Katara had been nervous for the interview, but there was really no reason to be. She was practically guaranteed acceptance: her 4.0 GPA and extensive list of sports and extracurriculars were impressive, especially to a school like BSSU. The interview had gone off without a hitch.

They headed for Katara’s dorm building. It was on the far side of campus, which Katara wasn’t too happy about. She had opted for early classes so she could work a part-time job after she was done with her extracurriculars and courses, but she could already imagine her mad-dashes across campus when she had snoozed her alarm one too many times.

There was a procession of cars parked in front of the dorms as students moved their belongings to their rooms. She remembered what it had been like last year at Gaoling University: the high-strung excitement of freshmen ready to have a taste of freedom and experience the hype that was college. Katara had been swept up in it herself: the thrill of being away from home, a taste of adulthood. That was part of why she was here now.

Sokka maneuvered his Suburban into an empty spot alongside the curb, a fair distance from the doors. He killed the engine before he turned in his seat toward Katara, who was currently frozen in place. 

“Hey.” She blinked before she looked up at him. He could see her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she chewed it nervously. “You’re gonna kill it here, Tara. You’re smart and athletic as all hell. They should be _honored_ to have you.”

She offered him a weak smile. “Thanks, Sokka.” Katara paused her music and slipped her phone into her backpack, the headphones still plugged into it.

“You know Dad would’ve given anything to be here, right?”

Katara stiffened for a moment. She gripped the strap of her bag tightly before she looked up at her brother. 

“Would he, though?” She saw him wince and regretted her words. She let out a breath. “I’m sorry. It’s okay. Really. Let’s just get my stuff into my room, okay?”

Sokka studied her for a moment before he nodded. “Okay.” He slid out of the Suburban, reaching up to tighten his topknot as he went.

Katara took one more deep breath before she unbuckled and joined her brother on the pavement, slinging her bag over her shoulder. He opened the trunk. She didn’t have much: a few boxes and a few duffel bags of clothing, along with her gym bag, packed with all of her athletic gear.

“Can I just say I’m glad your dorm is on the first floor? I really didn’t want to lug all of your books upstairs.”

Katara rolled her eyes. “I only brought _two_ boxes of my books with me. And there’s an elevator...but you’re right. We wouldn’t want you looking like a _man_ or anything in front of all these girls.”

Sokka’s jaw dropped open dramatically as he turned to her, a look of mock-hurt on his face. “Ouuuch! That’s not a very nice thing to say to your brother who took a day off of his weekend—the weekend before he has to start college too, y’know—to bring you all the way up here.”

Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes again as she reached for the first box. “Come on. I told you I didn’t mind taking the train.”

“For eight hours? And with boxes and bags? Forget it, Katara.” Sokka grabbed another box. “Dad would’ve killed me.”

“If Dad cared so much, he would be here,” she muttered before she could stop herself.

Sokka paused, the box balanced on his hip. “That’s not fair. You know how hard it is for him to come home. We should just be happy he’s stationed in the Earth Kingdom and not the Fire Nation.”

“Right.” She huffed out a breath of air that blew her bangs off her forehead. “Let’s just get this stuff to my dorm, alright? You have a long drive back home.”

“Hey, if you think I’m not taking you out for dinner before I leave, you’ve got another thing coming.” He started for the doors. “We’ll get your stuff to your room, and then we’re getting some food. I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving.”

“Exactly.”

They walked toward the doors, melting into the throng of students and parents hauling in personal belongings. Katara followed Sokka into the building. She took a moment to take it in: most of the room was occupied by a commons area, with couches and loveseats and a TV. There was a flight of stairs that led up to the second floor. Off to the right was a check-in desk where the RAs and monitors were stationed. Right now a middle-aged woman with an obscenely wide smile sat behind it, watching the incoming students and occasionally pointing them in the direction of their dorms.

“Helloooo,” she greeted them in an unnerving singsong voice. “My name is Joo Dee. Do you need help finding your dorm room?”

“I’m in 221,” Katara told her.

“Down that hall, then,” Joo Dee said, pointing.

“Come on. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can eat,” Sokka griped as he led Katara through the throng of students toward her dorm hall.

It was rather crowded, with college girls hurrying to deposit their belongings into their room, and she and Sokka wove through them in the direction Joo Dee had pointed. 

Katara had, by some stroke of luck, not been assigned a roommate. SHe was thankful for that. She had gotten lucky last year having Suki was a roommate, but she knew the chances of having something like that happen again were slim. Though it would have been nice to possibly have a friend. 

They finally reached her door. Katara braced the box against her hip and dug the key out of her pocket and unlocked it. There was a small leaflet taped to her door that fluttered in the air. Katara took it down.

“What’s that?” Sokka asked.

Katara skimmed the page. “I guess there’s some kind of mixer going on tomorrow, put on by one of the sororities.”

“Do you think you’ll go? It might be a good opportunity to meet people.”

Katara shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

She opened the door and stepped inside. Katara took it in. It was larger than she expected—much larger than her room at GU. It was shaped like a squat, fat T, with three huge windows. Two narrow beds stood solidly in opposite corners, with a small white dresser waiting to be filled at the foot of each. In the tail of the T were two white desks with swivel chairs. Each had three small shelves fitted above them, with three-shelf cubby organizers next to the desk. The door of the small closet was ajar. 

The best feature of the room was the cozy window seat that was haloed in golden sunlight from the window at the bottom of the T.

“Sweet digs,” Sokka commented. He set the box down on one of the desks. Katara did the same. “Whatcha think, Tara?”

Katara looked around the room again. “It’s nice. Really nice.” She looked at him, smiling happily. “And I get all of this to myself. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

Her grin widened as he returned the look. “Come on. Let’s go get the rest of your stuff.”

  
  


After they had cleared the car and brought the rest of Katara's things to her room, they went out to eat. It wasn’t their first time in Ba Sing Se, but it had been a few years since their last, visit besides the short trip they had taken for Katara’s interview. The drive up to the university had been pretty, but Katara had been too preoccupied to focus on the sights.

“Dad said there’s a great restaurant in the Lower Tier that sells traditional South Pole food,” Sokka told her when they had gotten back into the Suburban. “Will you pull it up on the GPS for me?”

He pulled away from the curb and started toward the street, but a shiny black Challenger with red decals whipped fast around a corner, close enough to nearly hit the front end of the Suburban.

Sokka slammed on his brakes and laid on his horn. “What the hell?” he shouted. He leaned his head out of the window, arms spread wide in a _what’s your problem_ gesture.

The Challenger screeched to a stop beside the Suburban. The tinted window rolled down and a gruff voice called out “Got a problem, princess?”

Sokka’s teeth gnashed together and a vein throbbed in his forehead. “Watch what you’re doing, moron!” Sokka snapped.

Katara leaned around her brother and caught sight of the driver. He was around Sokka’s age. When the driver’s gaze met hers, Katara had to press her lips together to stop the gasp that threatened to escape. There was an angry red scar on the left side of his face that stretched from his brow bone to his cheekbone and disappeared into the mess of dark hair on his head. It was clearly a burn, and an old one. It was puckered in some places and shiny in others, with a myriad of shades of pink and red.

“Let’s just go, Sokka,” Katara muttered to him.

“You’re lucky I’m with my sister!” Sokka shouted as he reluctantly drove away.

Katara watched the Challenger in the side view mirror. It sped through the parking lot and disappeared from her view as she and Sokka left the campus grounds. She pulled up the restaurant on the GPS and soon they were driving down the crowded streets, the jerk in the Challenger forgotten. 

The Upper Tier, where the university was located, was the nicest of the three, with looming skyscrapers and big, boxy houses. People drove nice cars or walked down the sidewalks wearing business attire. The Middle Tier was mostly residential, with some boutiques thrown into the mix. The Lower Tier was a helter-skelter mix of houses, apartment buildings, department stores, and warehouses that seemed to trip over each other as they clustered the cramped streets. 

Katara was utterly enthralled by the hustle-and-bustle of its atmosphere. It was a lot to take in for a girl who had been living in the small, clean city of Gaoling for the last few years, and it was a stark contrast to the tiny village where she had been born in the South Pole.

At last, Sokka pulled up in front of the restaurant. With the windows down, Katara could smell the sharp aroma of sea prunes and other delicacies from her home that were so hard to come by in the Earth Kingdom. But beneath that was a more pleasant, almost floral aroma. Katara spotted its source: a tea shop located across the street. The green sign above the canopy bore the name ‘The Jasmine Dragon’ in elaborate gold lettering. She saw a ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window and quirked a brow. If they were hiring part-time, that might be a good place to start.

The siblings went inside and were directed into a booth by the window. A waitress brought out the menus and Katara and Sokka skimmed over them.

“Oh man, seaweed noodles and turtle-seal steak? I’m in love with this place already!” Sokka enthused.

“Don’t start drooling, Sokka. I don’t need you embarrassing me,” Katara teased. “Oh look, they have your favorite: sautéed sea urchins.”

It was a nice early-dinner with her brother. They ate while they talked about their friends, Sokka’s girlfriend, Suki, their upcoming courses and their extracurriculars. This would likely be the last time they saw each other until winter break, almost four months away. Katara would miss Sokka. They had never spent this much time away from each other before, but she knew it was necessary. GU was her past. BSSU was her future.

When they left the restaurant, Katara pointed across the street at the tea shop. “They’re hiring. I’m going to go over there and pick up an application.”

“Katara, Dad already said he’d send you money,” Sokka protested. “Don’t you think you have enough on your plate already?”

“You guys need the money.” She looked up at him. “My schooling isn’t cheap and Dad’s already paying for what isn’t covered by my scholarships. At least this way I’ll have my own pocket money for textbooks and food and stuff.”

Sokka sighed, sensing he wouldn’t be able to change her mind (stubbornness was one of Katara’s main personality traits; once she got an idea in her head, it was nearly impossible to deter her). He watched her walk across the street.

The bell chimed overhead when she opened the door. While the smell outside had been fragrant and appealing, the scent inside the tea shop was invigorating. The rich aromas of tea leaves and freshly-ground coffee coalesced with the smell of baked goods in a way that made her mouth water, despite having just eaten a full meal. Katara stopped just inside and let her eyes fall closed as she deeply inhaled the plethora of smells. When she opened her eyes she spotted a case filled with delicious-looking pastries. 

The atmosphere inside was cozy and inviting. Tables and chairs were arranged in the middle of the floor, each adorned with tea candles and floral arrangements. Upon closer inspection, Katara noticed how each arrangement had a corresponding placard, lettered in the same cursive script as the sign outside. One table was adorned with lavender and lemongrass. Another had an intoxicating bowl of rosemary potpourri. A third had an elaborate arrangement of rich hyacinths.

Katara gave a small shake of her head to clear away the smells before she took in the rest of the shop. She saw some comfortable couches and armchairs that lined the edges of the shop and met in the corners. The lighting was low, but not so dim that a bunch of college kids couldn’t hold study sessions here, which Katara was sure they did. She wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up joining them.

An older, portly gentleman had been bussing a table when Katara walked in. His golden eyes twinkled kindly and his laugh lines showed prominently when he turned a warm smile in her direction.

“Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon,” he said in a chipper voice. “I’ll be with you in one moment!”

Katara smiled and nodded in acknowledgment before she drifted toward the register as her eyes scanned the menu. The Jasmine Dragon’s specialty was tea, but there was also an impressive selection of coffee blends and fresh-baked goodies. The lemon-blueberry muffins sounded delightful. Katara made a mental note to herself that she would have to try one the next time she came in.

Suddenly thinking of it, she looked down at herself, hoping her outfit was decent enough to make a good first-impression on a potential place of employment. She was wearing a pair of black leggings and a plain blue tank top (Katara had dressed comfortably for the long car ride), and her well-worn Chuck Taylors. It wasn’t the outfit she would have worn if she’d known she was going to pick up a job application, but overall, it could have been worse.

There was a girl behind the counter who looked to be around Katara’s age. She wondered if the girl went to BSSU too. She was pretty, with a round face and large, sweet eyes, with dark hair nearly as wild as Katara’s own, braided in pigtails that fell over her shoulders.

“Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. What can I get for you today?” The girl’s smile was as gentle as her eyes.

Katara smiled back at her. “I was actually hoping to pick up a job application.”

The girl brightened. “Oh, sure! Iroh—” She gestured to the older man. “—will help you with that.” The smile returned. “I’m Jin.”

“Katara. It’s nice to meet you.”

After a few minutes the older man, Iroh, disappeared through a doorway before coming back out while drying his hands off on his apron. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at Katara.

“Would you like to try one of our specialty teas? We are well known for our boba and jasmine blends.”

“Oh, no thank you,” Katara said politely. She gestured toward the door. “I saw the ‘help wanted’ sign and I was hoping to pick up a job application, if you’re still hiring.”

“Yes, we are!” Iroh reached under the counter and pulled out a thin packet of paper that was stapled together. “Are you a BSSU student?”

“That I am,” Katara replied as she took the application. “Are you looking for a part-time worker, by any chance?”

“Yes, we are! Jin here helps me in the mornings, but her classes keep her afternoons and evenings booked out. I’m used to scheduling shifts to fit with BSSU students.” He smiled again. “I’m actually looking for a closing-shift worker. Could that work for you?”

Katara couldn’t believe her luck. That was exactly what she had been looking for. She smiled brightly. “That would be perfect! I was actually looking for something in the evening.”

Iroh chuckled. “Excellent! Why don’t you bring that application by tomorrow at say, ten o’clock, and I’ll interview you then?”

She nodded excitedly. “Yes, of course! Thank you so much.”

He held out his hand. “As you hear, I am Iroh. I own the Jasmine Dragon. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“You as well. I’m Katara.” She took the offered hand and watched as it enveloped hers. “I’ll be here tomorrow at ten then.”

His eyes sparkled with merriment. Katara hoped she got the job. She liked Iroh already. “I’ll see you then, Miss Katara.”

It took all of her self-control to not skip happily back to the Suburban. She managed it, just barely, but there was no fooling Sokka.

“What, did he hire you on the spot or something?” he asked as she climbed back into the passenger seat.

“No, not exactly, but I’ve got an interview tomorrow!” Katara bounced up and down in her seat, unable to reign in her glee any longer, as she slipped her application into her purse. “I’m pretty confident I’ll get the job. The owner seems like a really nice guy. He said he’d be happy to work with my class schedule!” She hurriedly strapped herself in as she struggled to reign in her excitement,

Sokka offered her a lopsided smile as he pulled back into traffic. “I’m really happy for you, sis. But you better figure out how to get here on the train, though.”

“I will.” Katara wasn’t going to let his pragmatism ruin her good mood. She knew he was happy for her in his own way—being a realist was one of them—and that this was just his way of expressing it. “I should be able to find the routes on Google.”

When Sokka dropped her off back in front of her dorm, he surprised her by getting out of the car and wrapping her up in a tight hug. Thankfully, most of the crowds had disappeared. Katara hugged him back. She didn’t realize how tightly she was clinging to him until she saw how her fingers had dug into his shoulders.

“I’m gonna miss you, Tara,” Sokka said. His voice was thick. “If you need anything, you call me, okay? Or you call Suki.”

Katara nodded against his shoulder. She blinked back the unexpected tears and swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m gonna miss you, too.” She pulled back and smiled at him. “And I’ll call if I need you, promise. Drive safe.”

Sokka held her at arm’s length. “Take care of yourself, kid.”

“You too.” She shrugged him off, but she was smiling. “Love you, Sokka.”

He slid behind the wheel of the Suburban and shut the door. “Love you too.”

Katara watched him until he pulled out of the dorm parking lot and disappeared. She hadn’t expected it to be so hard to watch him go. The two of them had never spent so much time apart, or had this much distance between them. But she consoled herself by remembering that semesters can go by so fast, and she would see him again before she knew it.

She made her way to her dorm room. Much of the activity had died down. There were some girls hanging out in the commons area, but Katara wasn’t in the mood to make new friends just yet. She was tired from the long drive, and the excitement over her prospective interview had fizzled away, leaving her with a feeling of nervous apprehension as she mentally played out the potential outcomes.

Evening was coming on, and she was looking forward to doing some unpacking and arranging her textbooks before she relaxed. She needed to pick out an outfit for the job interview, too.

Overall it had been a good day, even the long car ride with her brother: Sokka had let Katara pick the music (his favorite saying was “driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake-hole”) and turned it up loud. The two of them had sung along and had a great time. 

Today was Friday, and classes started on Monday, so she had time to get her room set up, but Katara was anything if not an overachiever.

And it wasn’t like she had anything better to do… She could have joined those girls out in the commons, but Katara was just too tired to be social. There would be plenty of opportunity for that at the mixer tomorrow night. And it would be easier to talk to them once she knew if she had gotten the job or not.

She inspected the paper she had found on her door. It was going to be at one of the sorority houses. There was an address at the bottom of the page, and Katara made a mental note to look it up on Google Maps later.

With a sigh, Katara grabbed one of the boxes and pulled it towards her before she opened the top. She found her Bluetooth speaker and connected her phone to it, and dialed up one of her favorite playlists. The first song to come on was “New Soul” from Yael Naim. Katara smiled as she began to fold her clothes into the dresser drawers. It seemed especially fitting for the day.

She sang along as Melanie Martinez and Halsey played and she unpacked. Outside of her room, she could hear the low buzz of conversations and the scuffles and thuds of other girls getting their rooms set up as well. 

Katara found herself grateful, once again, that she hadn’t been stuck with a roommate. Not that she’d had a bad experience with roommates—that was how she had met Suki, and then Sokka had met her too, and the rest was history—but Katara had grown used to having her own space again when she had been home for the summer. She wasn’t ready to give that up yet.

Sure, she was going to miss Suki. She already _did_ miss her. But Katara was going to enjoy the solitude. She wouldn’t have an issue with a messy roommate, or a loud roommate when she was trying to study, or one who complained about her music. This was entirely _her_ space, although she probably wasn’t going to be there all that much. Between her course load and the prospective new job, Katara was going to be very busy. It was a relief that she wouldn’t have to deal with a roommate on top of all of that.

But it was better that way. _Idle hands are the devil’s workshop_ was a favorite quote of her Gran-Gran’s, and Katara knew that it was true. If she kept herself occupied, there wouldn’t be time to get into trouble.

Spirits knew that was the last thing she needed.


	2. Chapter 2: Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara attends a mixer thrown by a sorority and makes a new friend. She has another run-in with the scarred stranger.

_I just came to kick it but really_

_I would rather be at home all by myself_

_Not in this room with people who don’t even care_

_About my well-being._

**_“Here” by Alessia Cara_ **

* * *

Katara stepped onto the train and scanned the carriage for a place to sit. By 9 am, most of the morning rush had died down, but it was still packed. She wondered if she would ever get used to the sheer size of the city. Ba Sing Se was a sprawling metropolis, and she was glad that she had GPS to help guide her through the city. 

There were no open seats, but Katara found a place to stand in the crowded car and she gripped onto one of the poles. 

She looked around. Most people were dressed casually, just going about their day, but many others were dressed in business suits. They were tapping away at their phones or talking rapidly into the Bluetooth pieces in their ears. No one paid that much attention to her, but her dark skin and blue eyes still drew some more than appreciative looks that she pointedly ignored.

Katara had decided on black slacks and her collared cream sleeveless button-down shirt with the black polka dots. She had briefly debated on wearing heels, but decided that it was overkill for an interview at a tea shop, opting for her black flats instead. She had left her hair down and twisted her bangs away from her face, pinning them back. She wore mascara and a neutral shade of matte lipstick that Suki had gotten her obsessed with. 

She untangled her headphones and pressed the earbuds into her ears, then she let the soothing notes of “Then Came the Morning” from The Lone Bellow fill her ears.

Katara had mapped her train ride to the Lower Tier the night before. The nearest station was a quick ten-minute walk to the tea shop, so Katara had left a little early to get there on time. 

It was a forty-five minute ride, but after a few stops Katara was able grab a spare seat and watch Ba Sing Se as the train whizzed by. It was so different from the arid, snowy tundras of the South Pole or the neat, grid-like setup of Gaoling. And it was almost impossible to fathom how _huge_ it was. She realized that she was quickly falling in love with the city.

After reaching her stop, Katara hurried down the cobblestone sidewalks that were lined with boutiques, restaurants, and other shops. It was busy, with people bustling about. Street merchants called their wares, looking to sell. Katara was entranced, and promised herself that she would browse the shops and stalls a bit before she went back to the campus.

She stopped just before the Jasmine Dragon. She took out her headphones and slipped her phone into her purse before she smoothed down her blouse. She took a few steadying breaths to steel herself before she went inside.

The girl, Jin, was behind the register again. There were more customers in the shop than there had been the day before, but all of them had been helped and seated. Jin spotted Katara as she weaved her way through the crowd and beamed a bright smile at her.

“Iroh, Katara is here!” Jin called toward the kitchen before she turned to take the next customer’s orders.

A few moments later Iroh emerged. He took off his apron and smiled at her as he beckoned her forward and led her into the back. 

“Good morning, Miss Katara. It is a pleasure to see you again,” Iroh said sincerely as he led her through the kitchen. The smell of baked goods was even stronger here, and Katara regretted not eating breakfast. “I hope you are enjoying BSSU so far. My nephew goes there as well.”

“I’ve got most of my things set up so I think I’m doing pretty well so far,” Katara said. He opened a door and led her into a cramped office. “Classes start on Monday.” 

She winced slightly as soon as she said it, cursing her nerves. _He knows that if his nephew goes there, you idiot._

The office was small, but organized. Iroh pulled out a chair for her to sit in before he sat behind the desk. Katara sank into the chair, crossing her legs at the ankle and folding her hands in her lap, as Gran-Gran had told her was proper for an interview.

“What are you majoring in?” Iroh inquired as he set about gathering a pen and a notepad.

“I’m getting my bachelor’s in political science,” Katara answered. She pulled her application from her purse and handed it to him. “I studied at Gaoling University and transferred to BSSU this year.”

“BSSU has an excellent degree program for politics,” Iroh said as he skimmed over her application. “I tried to convince my nephew to consider that as a potential career path, but he is set on business.”

“It sounds like he wants to be like his uncle,” Katara said with a smile. She was pretty sure she was going to get the job, but it didn’t hurt to lay on the charm.

But Iroh only nodded, his eyes still fixed on her application, and Katara wondered if she had said the wrong thing. 

Then Iroh looked up at her and smiled warmly. “So, I see you worked at a Starbucks in Gaoling last year.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Did you enjoy the work?”

Katara nodded. “I did.”

“Well, I will say that we’re a little different here. Tea is our specialty, and we make all of our own brews right here,” Iroh said. “Nothing is premade, not even the pastries. Does that sound alright with you?”

Katara smiled brightly. She was a pretty decent baker, thanks to her grandmother’s skills. She was sure she would fit right in. “Absolutely!”

“And you said you were fine to work the closing shift?”

Katara answered with a smile. “My latest class is 4 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Other than that, all of my classes and extracurriculars are done by 3 pm. It does take me about 45 minutes to get here on the train, though.”

“No worries,” Iroh said as he jotted something down on the notepad. “What type of extracurriculars are you doing?”

“I made the swim team, so I’ll be doing that competitively.” It was one of her scholarships. She had set all of the records at her high school in Gaoling, and had continued to set more at GU. “I’m also on the debate team. And, if time allows it, I might even join the dance team.”

Iroh chuckled good-naturedly. “Sounds like you like to keep busy, Miss Katara.” He looked down at the calendar that was on his desk. “So, how does working 6 pm to 10:30 pm, Monday through Friday, sound?”

“That sounds perfect,” Katara replied with a smile. “Does that mean I got the job?”

Iroh returned the smile. “Of course! You can come in Monday evening for training at 6. Now, how about we fill out some paperwork over a cup of tea? Which kind is your favorite?”

Katara could have jumped with joy. Already, it seemed like things were looking up for her.

* * *

  
  


After her successful interview, Katara had left the Jasmine Dragon feeling more optimistic than she had in awhile. With little else to do, Katara had spent some time browsing through the marketplace. It seemed like there was a little bit of everything to be had in Ba Sing Se. She even found a vinyl record she knew Suki had been thinking about buying for months, so she had bought it to mail to her later.

Then it had been another forty-five minute train ride back to the dorm. Katara had killed time by finishing unpacking and rearranging some of her things before she settled in for some reading. She had gone to a ramen shop on campus for dinner, before she returned to her room to get ready for the mixer.

Now Katara smoothed her hands over her shirt and looked at herself in the small vanity mirror that sat on her desk. Her winged eyeliner was sharp, but her cheeks were a little too sallow for her liking and she thought that her eyes were too wide. 

It was almost 7 pm…the time for the little social gathering going on at the sorority.

With a sigh, Katara pulled out the blush she seldom used and applied a light layer to her cheeks. She didn’t want to _look_ nervous, even if she _was_ nervous. There wasn’t much she could do about her too-wide eyes. Hopefully that would go away with her nerves.

“Come on, Katara, get it together,” she muttered to her reflection. “You are _never_ shy. You are a confident, outgoing person. It’s just a mixer.”

But her reflection did not look convinced. If anything, her jitters felt worse.

Katara took one last look at herself, surveying her high-waisted denim shorts with the rips and the off-the-shoulder cream-and-navy striped shirt. She ran her fingers through her hair that tumbled loosely to her waist, and wondered if her makeup was too bold before she shook her head and strode determinedly out the door, snagging her purse off of her desk before she went. _You can do this. No big deal._

There was a group clustered in the commons. She smiled at some of the girls as they looked up at her as she made her way toward the door, but most didn’t pay her any attention. Katara pushed through the doors into the still-warm night and started walking toward the main road. Her trusty friend, Google Maps, had told her that the sorority house was a short, twenty-minute walk away into a residential area just beyond the campus.

Katara put her headphones in and dialed up Panic! At the Disco. She needed Brendan Urie’s voice to boost her confidence. 

By the time the sorority house came into view, made obvious by the congregation of cars and the steady thrum of Lizzo’s latest hit filling the air, which, surprisingly, blended well with Urie’s solo riff playing in her ear, her nerves had calmed and Katara found herself walking confidently up to the open door. 

It was a beautiful three-story house, whose walls had all but disappeared under the thick canopy of honeysuckle and creeper vines creeping up the dark paint. The lights glowed through the closed curtains, and Katara wondered what lay in store on the other side.

She pulled out her headphones and tucked her phone into her purse. The notice about the mixer had said to bring it with, but there was no one posted at the door to check her. Katara shrugged and went inside.

It was an older house, but grand, and with wide hallways and vaulted ceilings. She paused for a moment to take in the carved banister of the staircase and the ornate chandeliers that were suspended from the ceiling. The lighting was muted and the place was packed with bodies. The furniture in the living room had been arranged to frame the walls to allow more space for mingling. The air was peppered with greeting calls as people met up with old friends or made new ones. There was a sizable crowd of people dancing to the music, with girls pressed against guys, holding their red plastic cups high. The volume blared and the bass vibrated beneath her feet; a pounding, throbbing heartbeat that drowned out any other sound. She could hardly hear herself think. 

Katara had never been one to party. She had been to a few with Sokka and Suki last year, but she had mostly kept to herself and nursed one drink all night. Alessia Cara’s song, “Here” perfectly described her attitude to gatherings of this sort. She was the kind of girl who preferred staying in, dressed comfortably in her pajamas, binging shows on Netflix and filling up on snacks. But Katara hated the new-kid feeling she had going on, and this was as good a place as any to meet new friends.

_Might as well get a drink_ , she thought as she started to elbow her way toward the kitchen. She had to side-step at least two dozen people, muttering “excuse me”, until she breached the doorway, but before she could get over to it, someone popped up in front of her, cutting off her path. 

She took in the person in front of her, and decided she would see what he wanted. He was just a few inches taller than her, but he had an easy smile and kind gray eyes. He wore an orange hoodie and khaki shorts, and she could see the tips of blue arrow tattoos that were symbolic of the Air Nation.

“You’re from the Water Tribes, aren’t you?” The easy smile was infectious; Katara found herself grinning back at him.

“Southern Water Tribe, born and raised,” Katara answered. “I’m Katara.” She gave him a curious look. “How did you know?”

He shrugged. “The blue eyes and tan skin are kind of a giveaway.” He smiled at her again. “I’m Aang, by the way.” 

“Nice to meet you, Aang.” She eyed him and gave him a friendly smile. “You’re Air Nation, right?” She gestured to his tattoos. “The blue arrows are kind of a giveaway.”

Aang laughed, and she found that sound was just as infectious as his smile. “You’ve got me. So, are you a new student?”

“I am,” Katara replied. “I just transferred from GU.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Oh, really? That’s cool. I’m a freshman. What’s your major?”

“Poli-sci. You?”

“I’m going for humanities,” Aang informed her. “With a minor in religious studies.”

Katara arched a brow at him. “Those are some big ambitions, but I guess it makes sense for someone from the Air Nation. Religion is kind of a big thing for you guys, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Aang replied. He glanced toward the kitchen. “Do you want to go get something to drink?”

Katara smiled. “Sure.”

She and Aang walked into the kitchen. It was a little less crowded in there, but not by much. Bottles of alcohol, mixers, and chasers dominated the island at the center of the room, and there were stacks of plastic red cups waiting. Aang pulled two cups from a stack. She watched as he filled his with soda.

“I guess you guys don’t really drink alcohol, do you?” Katara asked.

“Usually just for ceremonies and stuff,” Aang replied with a shrug. “I never really got a taste for it myself. Anyway, what do you want to drink?”

“You know what? I just got a job this morning, so I think I might celebrate with my old friend, Captain Morgan,” Katara answered with a grin. 

“Congrats on the job,” Aang said. “When do you start?”

“Tomorrow, after my classes.”

Not that she was much of a drinker—she could count on one hand how many times she had been drunk, but she thought she had earned a treat. She poured a shot’s worth of rum into her cup and topped it off with orange juice and Sprite. 

“Wow, you like to keep busy, don’t you?”

Katara laughed. “Everyone keeps saying that to me. I _like_ to be busy.”

Aang held up his cup, and Katara tapped hers against it. “Here’s to staying busy.”

“To staying busy.” She took a sip. “Mm, delicious.”

Katara liked Aang. He was easy to talk to, and Katara didn’t think the only reason he was talking to her was because he wanted to get in her pants. He didn’t seem the type. 

  
  


They lingered in the kitchen after they had gotten their drinks, snagging two stools. The conversations flowed easily between them. She was a little disappointed that they wouldn’t be sharing any classes, but Katara was still glad she had made a friend. They exchanged phone numbers and agreed that they would have to hang out soon.

_Maybe coming to this mixer wasn’t such a bad thing after all,_ she thought, and then promptly changed her mind two seconds later when a large crash sounded from upstairs, hard enough to shake the whole house.

“I wonder what that was?” Aang asked. 

He was promptly answered when a voice could be heard from upstairs, “What the hell was _that_ for?” quickly followed by a deeper voice shouting back, “Screw you!”

Aang slipped off of his stool, setting his cup down on the counter, and darted swiftly through the crowd as he headed toward the stairs. Almost everyone’s attention had shifted toward the disturbance upstairs. 

Katara, unsure of what else to do, climbed down from her stool and followed Aang. She pushed through the sea of bodies, wondering how Aang had gotten through them so easily, and made it to the bottom of the stairs in time to collide with a hooded figure who had thundered down the steps. He bumped her shoulder, hard, when he passed her. Katara’s drink sloshed down the front of her shirt.

She glared at the retreating figure. “Hey jerk, why don’t watch where you’re going!” 

The hooded figure turned and for a brief second Katara caught sight of a scar: red and wrinkled, glinting wickedly in the low light. It was the maniac driver from the parking lot. Her scowl deepened.

“Why don’t you take your own advice?” he snarled at her.

Katara glared and stepped into his personal space. His golden eyes sparked like twin flames, burning hot with shock and anger. 

“Excuse me? _You_ bumped into _me_ ,” she said hotly. “The least you could do is apologize!” 

He eyed her up and down, eyes taking her in quickly. His lip curled. “What are you? Water Tribe? Sorry, but I don’t apologize to _peasants._ ”

Her mouth dropped open and her heart thundered in her chest as the adrenaline flowed through her veins. In a reflexive move that would have made Suki proud, she tossed the rest of her drink at him, cup and all. His lip curled back in a snarl. 

“Screw you,” Katara snapped. She braced herself for him to explode at her. He seemed like he would have a temper.

He didn’t say anything at all. Instead, after quickly glancing at her side, and then back to her, he turned and ducked out the front door.

A hand appeared on her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?” She startled, and saw that Aang had come to stand beside her.

Katara looked down at her top. _That’s going to stain._ She huffed out a sigh. “Yeah, I guess so, but my shirt is soaked.”

“Do you want me to walk you back to your dorms?”

Katara smiled at him as the adrenaline started to ebb. “Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks, Aang.”


	3. Chapter 3: Coffee's For Closers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara has her first shift at her new job, and it's already off to a great start.

_ We will never believe again. _

_ Kick-drum beating in my chest again, oh. _

_ We will never believe again. _

_ Preach electric to a microphone stand, oh. _

**_“Coffee’s For Closers” by Fall Out Boy_ **

* * *

The bell above the door chimed as Katara stepped into the Jasmine Dragon for her first shift on Monday night. She inhaled the enriching aromas of the baked delicacies and teas. As she did, she could feel the strain of the day start to fall away. 

It had been a long day, but overall she thought her first day of classes had gone well. She liked her professors so far, and it had been easier to navigate the campus than she’d thought it would be. Even her first swim practice with Coach Pakku, who was as stern and no-nonsense as a drill instructor, hadn’t been all that bad. 

She had changed into a pair of black skinny jeans and black Vans sneakers. Iroh had warned her about how often she would be racing back and forth and had advised wearing comfortable shoes. She had also donned one of the deep-green t-shirts that displayed the logo of the tea shop across her chest that he had given her for work. Iroh had given her four shirts and two aprons after she had finished signing the employee paperwork. She had also pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and added her winged eyeliner and mascara to finish the look.

There was a guy she sort of recognized from her Research & Writing class working the register. He was pretty cute, with dark hair that fell to his shoulders and pretty green eyes. 

He looked up when she came in, and by his smile Katara could tell he recognized her. She approached the counter slowly, feeling less confident than she would have liked.  _ Come on, this can’t be all that different from Starbucks, _ she told herself.

He eyed her, taking in the uniform, before he met her gaze. “Hey! It’s Katara, right?”

“That’s right,” she answered with a friendly smile.

The guy—what was his name? Hiei? Haru?—grinned at her. He was pretty cute, with long brown hair, green eyes and a clean-shaven face. “You must be Iroh’s new hire. He wouldn’t stop talking about you.”

Katara blushed furiously. “Is that so?” She looked around. The tea shop was mostly empty now that the after-work rush was over, but she didn’t see Iroh anywhere. “Is he here?”

Hiei/Haru looked a little surprised. “Oh, no. Iroh works mornings. He didn’t tell you?”

“No.” Katara frowned.

“Oh. Well, closing shift trains with the closing manager.” Hiei/Haru leaned over the counter and gave her a conspiratorial wink. He spoke in a stage whisper. “I think it’s Iroh’s way of making sure you’re cut out for the job. The closer is kind of a douchebag.”

Katara arched a brow. Was he supposed to be the manager, then? “Oh, really? Well, I think I’ll manage.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not me.” He let out a little laugh. “Just be careful not to set him off and you’ll probably live.” He grinned. Katara blushed as she apologized for her assumption. “Don’t worry about it. I needed a laugh. But fair warning, he’s in a pretty bad mood today.”

“Should I be worried then?”

“A girl like you? Nah, not even  _ he _ can resist a pretty smile.” Hiei/Haru flashed her another smile as his emerald eyes took her in, and Katara blushed deeper. “But I’m out of here, so let me go grab Mr. Manager for you. You’ll see what I’m talking about.” He gave her a pointed look. “Try not to get on his  _ bad _ side.”

Katara watched him duck into the back, shooting him a quizzical look that he didn’t see before she pulled her apron out of her purse and tied it around her waist. Then she turned her face up to the menu. 

She skimmed over the products, sparing the occasional cursory glance at the display case for some of the more intriguing pastries. She could already imagine how some of them were made, and figured she would probably be pretty good at it. 

Katara noticed movement in her peripherals, and she looked away from the menu and into a familiar face. She felt the blood drain from her own.  _ This cannot be happening. _

It was the huge jerk from the party on Saturday night. 

He stopped short when he registered who it was. His brows furrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line. Then he shook his head and muttered something under his breath along the lines of “you’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me” before he approached the register and leaned over the counter toward her.

Katara took a tentative step closer. He may be a jerk, but just like at the party, she wasn’t going to stand down to him. 

“So this is awkward—”

He cut her off, his tone clipped. “I’m going to train you, and that’s  _ it. _ I don’t want to hear one word out of your mouth if it isn’t about this damn job, got it?”

Katara’s mouth twisted into something of a grimace.  _ Ok, so...maybe he’s an even bigger jerk than I thought,  _ she thought grimly.  _ This is going to be a fun four and a half hours. _ Hiei/Haru’s warning echoed in her mind, and she decided that regardless of his attitude, she would still try to play nice. 

So she threw him an impassive look as if to demonstrate that she was calm and collected. “Got it.”

“Get back here so I can show you how to clock in.” He spun on his heel and started for the kitchen.

Katara glowered at his retreating back, but followed him through the kitchen, past the small office, and into the break room. He pulled a piece of paper out of his back pocket and unfolded it. 

The guy from her R&W class was hastily punching out on the clock, his apron tossed over one shoulder. As soon as he was done, Hiei/Haru made a beeline for the door. “See ya, Zuko.” He sent Katara a pitying look as he passed her.

“Later, Haru.” Once they were alone, the jerk’s—Zuko’s—molten eyes smouldered as they fixed on her. They were a bright gold color, and she recoiled from the fury in his gaze.  _ There is  _ no way  _ I ticked him off that bad.  _ He’s  _ the one who spilled a drink on  _ me _! Sure, I dumped the rest of mine on him but he totally deserved it.  _ “I’ll show you how to punch in. Come here.”

“You could ask nicely, you know,” she muttered, but the look in his eyes had Katara scurrying over to him without further complaint.

“Your punch-in pin is 0627. Type it in and then hit ‘enter’. Pretty basic stuff. You can clock in no more than five minutes before the start of your shift. If you take a 20 minute lunch, you stay clocked in. Anything more, you clock out. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Katara mumbled sarcastically as she clocked in. She didn’t miss the grating look he gave her.

The next four and a half hours were miserable. Zuko only spoke to her to bark orders or explain—quite rudely, Katara would add—how to do something. He kept her away from the tea and coffee prep stations, but he did show her how to use the register. And he made sure she bussed all of the tables, did all of the sweeping and mopping, and washed the dishes while he had the much-easier job of restocking and setting up the brews and pastries for the next morning.

By the time he was locking up the front door and flipping the sign to  _ Closed _ , Katara had a throbbing headache and was more than ready for her bed. Her muscles were stiff and sore from swim practice that morning, and she still had a 45 minute train ride ahead of her. She was grateful that none of her professors had given an assignment on the first day of classes, so at least she could plug in her headphones and let the world fade out. Especially her new manager.

Katara took off her apron and punched out. Her patience was wearing thin, and if he said  _ one _ more jerk-face thing to her, she might have just thrown down her apron and walked out. 

Silently fuming, she grabbed her purse and sweater out of the break room before she stalked out of the employee exit, leaving him behind in the kitchen. She closed the door quietly behind her. As infuriating as he was, she would not give him the satisfaction of showing him how he had gotten under her skin by slamming it.

She started down the narrow alleyway toward the street, eager to be away from him. She heard Zuko come out behind her and the jangle of his keys as he locked up, but she resolutely refused to look at him over her shoulder. 

She paused at the mouth of the alley to take her phone out of her bag and slip her headphones in. Fall Out Boy filled her ears and she turned up the volume. She gathered all of her pent-up emotions and released them in one long sigh. 

Katara rounded the corner and started down the sidewalk toward the train station, nodding to herself as she stepped in time to the beat.

“Where are you going?” She barely registered his voice over her music.

Katara took one earbud out and glanced back at Zuko from over her shoulder. He was standing beside a sleek black Challenger with red decals— _ that  _ sleek black Challenger with the red decals from Friday—that was parked along the curb.

“Hm?”

“I said, where are you going?”

Katara waved her free hand in the general direction of the train station. “I’ve got to catch the train.”

His good eye widened fractionally before he shook his head. He muttered something under his breath that she didn’t hear. “No way. Forget that. Let me give you a ride back to the dorms.”

“Are you serious?” Katara snorted incredulously. “You were a complete jerk to me all night, and now you want to take me home? Sorry, but I’d rather take the train.” She turned on her heel and started in the direction of the station.

“Don’t be stupid. The trains aren’t safe at night,” Zuko growled, his voice gruff with frustration. “There’s transients and druggies and all kinds of bad news.”

Katara rolled her eyes. “For your information, I’ve been doing martial arts since I was a kid. I think I’ll be fine.” 

She put her earbud back in and kept walking. A moment later, she realized someone had fallen into step beside her. 

Katara yanked out her earbud and shot him a withering look. “And just  _ what _ do you think you’re doing?”

“Ooh, someone’s cranky.” He looked down at her, something like a smile ghosting across his lips. “If you won’t accept a ride, then I’m taking the train with you.”

She rolled her eyes.  _ Now he wants to be a gentleman?  _ Katara asked herself. She gestured toward the car. “And what about your car? It’s pretty nice. Aren’t you worried someone might try to steal it?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s just a car.”

_ He’s infuriating!  _ Katara stopped walking and heaved a sigh. She massaged her temples against the steady throb of her headache. “You know what? Fine. I’ll let you give me a ride home if you promise not to talk to me.”

“Fine.” He turned around and started back toward the car, his pace easy on his long legs.

Katara glared at the back of his head. He pulled a set of keys out of his pants pocket and with the push of a button on the fob, he unlocked the Challenger.  _ He’s a jerk  _ and _ he’s a rich kid. Perfect. _

She expected him to go around to the driver’s side, but to her great surprise he strode over to the passenger door and opened it for her.

She quirked a brow at him. “Oh wow, you actually have manners,” Katara remarked sarcastically as she slid across the black leather seat. 

She dropped her bag onto the floorboard and reached behind her for the seatbelt, inadvertently catching sight of Zuko smirking down at her. She would be lying to herself if she said that look didn’t cause her heart to skip a beat.  _ He’s obviously bad news. He’s hot as hell, but a total jerk. Forget it, Katara. _

“What?” Katara snapped when he didn’t say anything.

“Maybe you should be a little nicer to your boss’s nephew. I could fire you, you know.”

Before she could answer Zuko shut the door, leaving her with her mouth gaping, a half-formed retort on her tongue. She watched as he passed in front of the car, glaring at him the whole time. 

He slid easily into the seat next to her and snapped his seatbelt on. She caught a whiff of his cologne: it had a musky, masculine scent, like bamboo, and maybe a little something like woodsmoke.  _ And he smells good too?  _ Katara mentally groaned. Why was the universe conspiring against her? It was going to be a long ride home.

Katara crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest, staring resolutely out of the windshield instead of at him. Because as much as she wanted to say that he wasn’t attractive, he was. Even with—or perhaps because of—the scar that covered most of the left side of his face. He had a strong jawline, an aristocratic nose, and brooding eyes. His dark hair had a casual mussed look to it, and his golden eyes stood out against his pale skin. 

But she was  _ not _ going to find this jerk attractive. Nope. Not happening. She was a Good Girl. Good Girls shouldn’t fall for Bad Boys. Katara had learned that lesson well.

But out of the corner of her eye she saw the way his muscular forearm flexed as he turned the key in the ignition. She licked her lips.  _ Nope. Don’t even think about it.  _

Katara turned to look out of the passenger window instead, and plugged her headphones back in. 

Zuko snapped his seatbelt into place before he pulled away from the curb and pressed on the gas. If he was trying to show off, Katara had to grudgingly admit that it was working. She could hear the purr of the motor over her music, and could feel it vibrating beneath her. At least she could pretend she didn’t notice.

She let her eyes comb quickly over the car. The car still had that new-leather smell to it, with a black interior and blue dashboard lights. It was clean, without a single speck of dirt. Nothing hung from the rearview mirror, and she found it to be an impersonal space. It looked like he’d just driven it off the lot. The radio was silent.  _ Does he not like music?  _ Katara wondered. She decided she didn’t care, and turned back to the city passing by.

Ba Sing Se was a different city when the sun went down. The streets weren’t as crowded as they had been when she rode into town that afternoon, but there were still people heading home from work or out to clubs and bars, or fancy dinners at the upscale restaurants. She watched the world go by through the passenger window, firmly reminding herself of her resolve not to spare him a passing glance.

She vaguely registered the sound of his voice. Katara tugged out her earbud and shot him an irritated look. “What?”

“I asked what you were listening to.”

“And I thought you promised not to talk to me.”

He chuckled, the sound low in his throat. “Well, you’re sort of stuck in my car for the next ten minutes so there’s not much you can do about it.” The corner of his lips tugged up in a lopsided smirk.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I can just ignore you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think you can do that. I get the feeling you’re a nice girl, and nice girls would never do that.” Zuko looked over at her, and when a streetlight caught his eyes they looked like pools of liquid gold. Katara felt a twinge of heat flickering deep in her belly and she looked away as heat rose in her cheeks. “So, what are you listening to?”

He was right; there really was no point trying to ignore him. And she  _ was _ a nice girl, and the manners her grandmother had instilled in her since she was a child were telling her—no,  _ demanding _ her—to be polite. 

With an exasperated sigh, she answered him. “Fall Out Boy.” She saw him nod slowly from the corner of her eye. She scowled. “What? Is there something wrong with my taste in music?”

“What? No. Fall Out Boy is good.” He paused for a moment as he glanced over at her. “What’s your favorite album?”

Katara couldn’t help but look at him, surprised. Given his demeanor and overall attitude, she had pegged him as someone who listened to metal, like Slipknot or something, if he even did listen to music. She never would have guessed he might like a band like Fall Out Boy.

Zuko caught her staring and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “What?” he snapped, defensive again.

She shook her head. “Nothing. I just...your radio was off, so...I wasn’t sure you even liked music. It...caught me off guard, is all.” 

“I guess that’s a fair assumption.” She could hear the amusement in his voice. “The radio’s not on because I hate the radio. I only use it to plug in my Bluetooth.” Katara offered an understanding nod at this, and he peered over at her again. “So...favorite album?”

“Um.” She swallowed. “ _ Infinity on High  _ is probably my favorite, but I’ve really been into  _ American Beauty/American Psycho _ lately.” She peeked at him. “Do you have a favorite?”

Zuko considered that for a moment before he offered a one-shoulder shrug. “Probably  _ Save Rock’n’Roll. _ Or  _ Infinity On High. _ ” He looked back over at her, a crooked smirk jauntily fixed on his lips. Katara scrunched her eyes at him. Was he flirting, or just being nice?

She changed the subject. “Oh, by the way….I wanted to say sorry for the other day. In the parking lot? The idiot that was yelling at you was my brother.” Katara had brought it up to give him an opportunity to apologize, both for that instance and for the mixer. 

“Yeah...I kinda got that from him yelling that I was ‘lucky’ that he was with his sister.”

“Oh...right.” 

She waited for him to reply, but when he didn’t, she decided she would just ask him outright. She knew she was probably going to tick him off again, but he had been rude to her all night and he probably deserved it. 

Katara narrowed her eyes at him. “What, you’re not going to apologize too?”

Zuko snorted. “Apologize for what?”

“I don’t know, for being a complete jerk, maybe?” Katara gave him a pointed look. “You know, for the other day, and for the mixer?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.  _ You _ flew into that parking lot and nearly hit my brother’s car. And then you dumped my drink all over me and didn’t even apologize for it.” She hesitated for a brief moment to see if he would respond. When he didn’t, she went on, “And as if  _ that _ wasn’t bad enough, you were a total jerk to me all night tonight, on my first shift, like it was somehow  _ my  _ fault.”

She was rewarded with the sight of his hands gripping the wheel tight enough that his knuckles went white and the muscles of his arms flexed. She’d definitely ticked him off again.  _ Serves you right, arrogant jerk,  _ she thought, satisfied.

For a moment Katara thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then he said, in a quiet voice, “You caught me on a bad day.”

“Is that your excuse? That still doesn’t give you the right.” The words were harsh, but they spilled out of her before she could stop them. And now that the dam had broken, it was hard for her to stop. “My shirt is probably ruined, you know. The least you could do is say sorry.”

This time he didn’t answer.

By the time they pulled up to the campus, the nice girl in her had Katara feeling a little guilty about goading him. He had been trying to be nice, he’d given her a ride home, and Katara had intentionally irked him. 

But she was too frustrated with him to apologize, so they pulled into the parking lot in icy silence. 

Zuko whipped the Challenger up to the curb outside of her dorm building with ease. He killed the engine and was out of the car before Katara could even unbuckle her seatbelt. 

She gathered her bag and reached for the door handle, but the door opened before she could grab it. Katara looked up at Zuko. His mouth was a tight line and he was looking out across the parking lot. The hand not gripping the door was curled into a fist at his side.

Sheepishly, Katara climbed out. She slipped past him and caught the smell of his cologne again. She turned, thinking of maybe apologizing, but the look on his face made her mouth turn dry. Hugging her bag to her chest, she stooped her head and started toward her dorm building. The car door closed behind her and a moment later the horn sounded as the locks clicked back into place. She heard his footfalls on the pavement behind her but Katara was determined to not get into another argument with him. 

He bypassed her when they got close to the doors, his long legs pulling him ahead of her so he could open the door. Katara avoided his eyes as she ducked inside. He lingered in the doorway and she could feel his eyes boring into her back. The night monitor, thankfully someone with a less-unsettling smile than Joo Dee, sat at the desk. She appraised them as if wondering if they were going to go to the same room—it was nearly eleven, and almost curfew now. 

She wanted nothing more than to hurry to her dorm room and scream into her pillow about how  _ infuriating _ he was, but her manners wouldn’t let her. She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder at him.

“Thanks for the ride,” she muttered.

“Don’t mention it,” he bit back.

Katara hurried to her dorm room, flicking on the lamp at her bedside table. With a frustrated groan Katara dropped into her bed.  _ Why did you have to open your mouth? He was trying to be nice. _ And she was sure she would pay for it one way or another. A trickle of anxiety flooded her stomach. What if he got her fired from her job? 

She didn’t know what to make of him after that car ride. It seemed like, under the angry exterior, there  _ might _ have been someone who could be nice, who may also have a sense of humor. But there was his hair-trigger temper to contend with. Katara wondered if he would say something to Iroh. She didn’t think he would fire her, but it was hard to say. She wasn’t sure she could handle Iroh’s quiet, disapproving gaze.

Katara irately kicked off her shoes and fished her phone out of her backpack. She needed to go to bed—6:30 came early for her swim practice tomorrow—but she was too wound up. Katara plugged her phone into her charger, set an alarm for a half hour early just in case, and put her headphones back in.

_ I’m Like A Lawyer _ started after she hit play, and Katara frowned. She suddenly wasn’t in the mood for Fall Out Boy anymore. She turned Muse on instead, hoping Fall Out Boy would sound better in the morning..

She fell asleep in her work uniform with the light on and her headphones in, listening to Matthew Bellamy’s soothing voice.


	4. Chapter 4: Enemy Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara can't seem to stop running into Zuko, so she extends a figurative olive branch.

_Who’s a friend, who’s an enemy?_

_‘Cause sometimes they look the same to me._

_But looks can be pleasing, yet so deceiving._

_Sweet words from a serpent’s tongue._

_It’s like playing with a loaded gun._

_Who knows what the truth is?_

_How do you prove it?_

_I swear I see you watching me._

**_“Enemy Fire” by Bea Miller_ **

* * *

Katara texted Aang as she hurried to her last class. She had an hour break between her R&W and Communication classes and she had taken the opportunity to get a late lunch and text Aang. But she had overestimated how much time she had, and now she was running late. She scrambled to get to the classroom as she fumbled in her bag for her phone.

R&W had taken a bit of an unexpected turn, to say the least. Haru had snagged a seat beside her and asked how her first night had gone, and she had groaned dramatically before telling Haru that Zuko had been a _huge_ jerk, and then he had given her a ride home, and had become an even _bigger_ jerk. Haru had offered to pick her up to bring her home if she didn’t want to deal with Zuko, but she had declined for the time being. _She_ was going to apologize to him. If he was still a jerk after that, she would definitely hit Haru up on his offer.

K> _You are never going to guess who my new manager is._

She wasn’t sure if he was in class or not, but he texted back right away.

A> _Who?_

K> _That jerk from the mixer the other night._

A> _No way!! How’s that going for you?_

K> _Well he didn’t fire me, but he’s still a total jerk._

A> _Uh oh. When do you go back to work?_

K> _6 tonight._

A> _May the odds be ever in your favor._

Katara grinned at his _Hunger Games_ reference. It was pretty applicable to her current situation.

K> _Thanks._

There was a brief hiatus between Aang’s texts, and as she hurried toward Comm she thought that was the end of their conversation. But then her phone buzzed in her hand.

A> _I was wondering if you wanted to hang out over the weekend. We could do our homework together or something._

Katara couldn’t help but smile. She genuinely liked Aang. He was sweet. He had walked her all the way to her dorm hall, and they had exchanged numbers. He’d bid her goodnight. He was also happy to hold a conversation without expecting her to contribute much. Not that it happened often, but it was nice to know that he could keep her company when she needed it. He was a Good Guy, the kind of person that Good Girls should date, even if he was almost two years younger than her.

K> _Sounds great. When and where?_

A> _I was thinking maybe coffee? There’s this great coffee shop just off campus._

K> _Why don’t we go to the Jasmine Dragon instead? It’s where I work. They have great tea. I think you’ll love it._

A> _Sure! Wanna go Saturday morning at 10?_

K> _Sounds like a plan :) do you want to meet me at my dorm and we’ll take the train?_

A> _Yes on meeting you, but no worries on the train. We can take my car. :)_

K> _Awesome!_ _see you then :)_

Katara was relieved to see the door for her Communications class was still open. Some professors had a “closed door” policy—if you weren’t there when the door shut, you weren’t getting into class.

She slid through the doorway and scanned the room. It was a smaller class, with maybe fifty seats, all of which were occupied except for one: the second to last chair in the back row. Katara was the kind of student who preferred to sit near the front, but there was no way around it now.

She made her way toward it, excusing herself politely. She dropped into the seat with a sigh of relief and draped her bag over the back of the chair. She pulled out a notebook and pen and turned her eyes to the front of the classroom without paying any attention to who was sitting on either side of her as she gazed over the sea of heads, trying to spot the professor. 

Thankfully, the professor hadn’t come out of his office yet. Katara checked her phone for the time: she had one minute to spare. There was also another text from Aang: 

A> _Can’t wait :)_

She smiled back down at the screen before she slid her phone into her back pocket, accidentally bumping the person to her right with her elbow.

“Sorry,” she said without looking up.

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me.”

The husky voice and the familiar words raised her hackles. Katara looked up and saw the tell-tale red scar. It was a stark contrast against his pale skin under the harsh fluorescents. 

She scowled. “There aren’t any other seats,” she hissed. “Deal with it today and I’ll sit somewhere else next time.”

Zuko rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything else. He held his pen between his fingers and tapped it on his paper, grating on Katara’s nerves. He kept his eyes trained at the front of the classroom. Beneath the table his leg bounced up and down. 

Katara decided to follow his lead and kept her gaze focused down below, twirling a lock of hair around her finger absently. The professor finally emerged from his office and started up the aisle toward the door, introducing himself as he did so.

“My name is Professor Bushi, but you can call me Dock,” the professor said as he closed the door. “Welcome to Communications.” He started back down toward the front of the classroom. “I hope you all chose good seats because this will be the permanent seating arrangement for the rest of the semester.” Katara and Zuko side-eyed each other, scowling. “You see, I’m good with faces but not with names so it’s easiest for me if you all don’t move around so much.” He briskly clapped his hands together once. “Now, let’s go over the syllabus and lesson plan for this course.”

“You better ask him to switch you,” Zuko growled as the professor began talking about the syllabus. Katara could feel the irritation rolling off of him like a heatwave. 

Katara glared at him. “Why don’t _you_ ask for a new seat?”

“Because I was here first!”

“Are you for real? What, are we in second grade?” Katara scoffed. “Are you gonna push me down in the sandbox if I don’t ask for a new seat?”

With a frustrated growl, Zuko raked both of his hands through his hair. When he spoke again, she could hear the barely-contained fire that lit his words. “It’s bad enough we work the same shift. Do you really want to be stuck in Comm together too?”

“You know, all of this could have been avoided if you weren’t such a jerk,” Katara hissed back at him. “You’re so dramatic.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes at her. “I was _trying_ to not be a jerk last night, but then you had to go and run your mouth, so yeah, I’m a little ticked off.”

“Again, dramatic. I literally just asked you to apologize.” Katara turned her eyes back to the professor without rising to the bait. Part of her was tempted to be petty and not ask for a seat change. But another part of her knew she couldn’t get through the class like this. She _was_ stuck with him, at least where their job was concerned. Why not make it easier and just get a new seat?

She heard him mutter something under his breath that she didn’t quite hear.

The class dragged on. The tension between the two of them was palpable. To anyone else, Zuko’s anger was unable to be seen: as he leaned back in the chair, his long legs spread out before him, and his expression was masked by a blank facade, he was the perfect picture of a mildly-bored college student. 

But Katara could see it in the tense set of his shoulders and the tight grip on his pen. She forced her eyes back to her notebook, with her neatly-jotted notes. _That boy has a temper,_ she thought to herself, and she pushed back the image of another bad-tempered boy she knew.

She was trying not to let it get to her, but she was a hopeful pragmatist. Whether they liked it or not, they would be seeing a lot of each other. Between Comm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and working however many closing shifts Iroh scheduled them into, Katara was probably going to see him more than she saw her dorm room. 

_Imagine seeing him_ in _your dorm room_. Katara shuddered as she shoved that thought away quickly. She was a Good Girl. He was a Bad Boy. That spelled disaster.

She didn’t need to get involved with someone like Zuko. She was running out of universities to transfer to if things went south. And she couldn’t ask that of Sokka again. This time around had been hard enough on the both of them.

But she didn’t plan on being miserable for the rest of this semester either. It didn’t seem likely that the professor would change her seat, so she decided she would have to extend the figurative olive branch and try to make amends.

But first, she tuned into what Professor Bushi—Dock—was saying. 

“The overarching theme of this course is to get you all comfortable with public speaking and oral presentations, so we will be doing a lot of those this semester. Some of these will be projects you do on your own, and others are ones you’ll be assigned to complete with a partner. So, let me give you your first assignment: you are to present an oral report about a current event in the world. I expect a 10-page speech to be turned in with this, and I expect a 10 minute presentation in class. This is a _partner_ assignment, so you and your partner will each have 5 minutes of public speaking to look forward to. The two of you will write the speech together, because although that won’t be the focus of _this_ course, interpersonal communication is important as well.” Dock let his eyes rove over the students gathered before him. “Starting with the person on the end of the aisle here by the walkway, every other person, look to your right and say hello to your new partner.”

Katara leaned around the girl sitting beside her and counted the heads between the end of the aisle and herself. She heard the quiet curse beside her right when she realized that she was the person to _Zuko’s_ left.

“This project is due next Thursday. You will hand in your written component after you give your speeches. Exchange contact information with your new partners and set aside at least a two-hour block to discuss this project with them.” Dock clapped his hands once. “That’s a wrap, folks. See you guys on Thursday!”

Katara turned slowly toward Zuko. He had his head resting in his hands, his long fingers buried in his hair.

She took a deep breath. “Okay, this is really inconvenient for both of us, but it is what it is. So, can we just pretend yesterday didn’t happen?”

Zuko looked up at her, his one eyebrow arched, mouth downturned in a scowl that was both irritating and attractive, which just irritated her all the more.

She forced herself to stifle her negative feelings, at least for the moment, and gave him a placating look. 

“Come on. Whether we like it or not, we’re partners, and we’re stuck with each other for the rest of this semester in this class. I think we got off on the wrong foot, so let’s try again.” Katara planted a falsely bright smile on her face and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Katara. It’s nice to meet you.”

Zuko looked at her hand, and then up at her. The corner of his mouth quirked for a second. “You’re a dork, do you know that?”

Her cheeks burned, but she didn’t drop her hand. “I’m serious, okay?”

“Whatever.” With a sigh, Zuko shook her hand. His hand enveloped hers. His skin was hot and she could feel the calluses on his palm. He let go of her and reached in his back pocket. He pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her. “Give me your number.”

Katara took his iPhone and quickly typed in her name and number before handing it back. She went to pull her phone out of her bag but before she could, Zuko was out of his seat and heading for the door. 

“Don’t you want to give me your number?” Katara called after him. 

He swept a look at her over his shoulder. A ghost of a smile was pulling at the corner of his lips. “I’ll text you.”

* * *

Katara flopped onto her bed with an exasperated sigh. She had extended her olive branch, and he had seemed to take it. So what now? Would he stop being a jerk to her at work, too? Was all forgiven? Could it really be that simple? 

She had an hour before she needed to leave for her next shift, and she really should have been using that time to get started on some homework or at least get ready for work, but she had no desire to do either.

Instead, Katara fished her phone out of her pocket and checked her text messages. She told herself she shouldn’t expect a text from him so soon—they had just gotten out of class barely fifteen minutes ago—but part of her hoped. The _stupid_ part of her. The part of her that had gotten mixed up with— 

She didn’t let herself finish that thought. He hadn’t texted her, and Katara was equal parts disappointed and relieved. She decided to text Suki. She would know what to do about this… situation. At the very least, she would likely have some sound advice.

K> _SOS_

S> _What’s up? BSSU not treating u right?_

K> _No it’s not that. I have a problem and idk what I’m gonna do about it._

S> _Does it involve a boy?_

Katara scowled at the screen. Suki had a scary way of always just knowing things. It drove Katara up a wall. While she was also grateful for it, it never felt any less unnerving. Suki’s intuition had been a life-saver last year, even if Katara had taken her advice a beat too late.

K> _Are you stalking me?! Tapping my phone? It has to do with a boy but it’s not a boy problem. And don’t you DARE tell Sokka._

Suki didn’t text back. Instead she called. Katara answered on the first ring.

“So, who’s this boy and do I need to come break his nose?”

“His name is Zuko, and no, I don’t think you need to come break his nose.” Katara chewed her lip thoughtfully. “At least, not yet.”

“What’s going on?”

Katara quickly ran her best friend through the developments of the last few days starting with Friday and continuing up until their Comm class. 

When she was done, Katara let out another sigh. “So now I’m stuck with the jerk-face. I don’t know how I’m going to survive.”

“You could quit your job,” Suki suggested, only half-serious.

Katara shook her head. “That only solves _part_ of the problem, and it’ll probably create more. He’ll probably think I quit my job because of him and get all weird about it. Which, I mean, technically it would be his fault. But still. I’m still stuck in class with him all semester.”

Suki was quiet for a moment before she answered. “So maybe you should just be nice to him. Kill him with kindness, as they say.” 

Katara frowned. “You mean I should actually be nice to this jerk-wad?”

“That _jerk-wad_ has a name. Maybe you could try using it, for starters.”

Her irritation was mounting. For once, Suki’s advice was _not_ helping. “Why are you taking his side?!”

“I’m _not_ , Tara.” 

Katara scowled at the phone. “Well, it sure _sounds_ like you are.”

Suki sighed. “I’m just saying that if you _are_ stuck with him, you might as well try to make the best of it.” Suki paused. “Who knows? Maybe something good will come out of it.”

Katar rolled her eyes. “Like what?” The only good thing that could come out of this was an improvement to her interpersonal communication skills and a new depth to her patience, if she was lucky. 

“I don’t know. _Some_ thing. Aren’t you even just a little curious about why he’s such a jerk?”

_Suki’s lost her damn mind._ “Becauses stupid jerks are just stupid jerks.” Katara checked the time. She sighed. “Look, I’ve got to get ready for work.”

“Text me and tell me how your shift goes!”

“K. Love you, bye.”

Katara hung up. That phone call really didn’t make her feel any better. She rubbed her temple with her free hand, already feeling a headache coming on. In the other, her phone buzzed. Katara looked down. It was a text from an unknown number, but she immediately knew who it was.

_Want a ride to work?_

Katara frowned. Was this his idea of starting over? If it was, Katara wasn’t sure she should be complaining. A twenty-minute car ride beat a forty-five minute train ride any day. Katara added his name to her contacts, debating on saving him as “Jerk-Face”, then thought better of it as Suki’s advice echoed in her head. She quickly texted him back. 

K> _Sure_

Z> _Meet me at my car in front of your dorm at 5:30_

Katara sent back a quick ‘k’ before she got up to get ready for work. She would have to keep this newly-formed truce in her mind when she went out to meet him. Hopefully he would extend the same courtesy to her.


	5. Chapter 5: On My Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Aang meet up for coffee.

_ And I don’t understand it, _

_ You don’t mess with love, you mess with the truth. _

_ And I know I shouldn’t say it. _

_ But my heart don’t understand _

_ Why I got you on my mind. _

**_“On My Mind” by Ellie Goulding_ **

* * *

He was leaning up against the Challenger, looking way sexier than he had any right to. He was still wearing his dark denim jeans, but he’d changed into the uniform shirt. Katara tried to ignore the way the cotton clung to his chest as she walked up to him. Zuko wasn’t hot. Not even with all of those muscles. Nope. Not one little bit.

“Hey.” Her voice was a semitone higher than usual, betraying her nervousness. Katara cleared her throat as she drummed her fingers against her thigh. “Thanks for giving me a lift.”

Zuko shrugged off the car and opened the passenger door for her. “I figured we were going to the same place, so I might as well offer.”

“Still. Thanks.” Her eyes flashed to his. The corner of his mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile, and heat rose in her cheeks.

Katara slid onto the leather seat and dropped her bag on the floorboard. After closing her door and coming around to the driver’s side, he climbed in beside her and turned the engine on. Zuko pulled his phone out and connected to the car’s Bluetooth. Music started to play, something with bass and guitars and electronic tones. It wasn’t Fall Out Boy, and it wasn’t the heavy metal she envisioned him listening to. But she found she liked it.

“What band is this?” Katara asked as he reversed out of the parking space.

“AWOLNation. Have you ever heard of them?”

Katara considered it. “I think so. The voice sounds familiar.” She shrugged. “My brother probably listens to them.”

“It’s a good band.” He reached over and turned it up, effectively ending any conversation.

_ So much for starting over,  _ Katara thought driyly. She turned her focus to the music. The voice had caught her attention, but the lyrics drew her to it:  _ I’ve been sleeping with these thoughts, man. I’ve been contemplating singing them. So stand up, catch fire, with me.  _

Nonchalantly, Katara took her phone from her bag, opened up her Spotify app, and added all of AWOLNation’a albums. She would check them out more in her free time. 

Then she got a text from Aang.

A> _ Tell me if that guy is being a douchebag, ok? I’ll come kick his butt for you. _

Katara stifled a giggle behind her hands. Not that she didn’t think Aang could hold his own—he might have been shorter than Zuko, but he was well-built for his height—but because she could just imagine the two of them duking it out in the middle of the tea shop. What, would they kick tables at each other? The mental image was almost too much for her.

K> _ Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind _

She risked a glance over at Zuko, but his eyes were on the road, his expression placid.

Zuko pulled the Challenger up to the curb outside of the Jasmine Dragon and cut the engine. Katara paused a moment, wondering if he was going to get out and open her door again. Instead he looked over at her.

“Look, I really am sorry about yesterday, and the other day,” Zuko said slowly, not quite meeting her gaze. “I...it’s not an excuse, but I really  _ was _ having a bad day.”

Katara smiled, possibly the first genuine smile she had given him. “It’s okay. That’s why we’re starting over. Thanks for the apology.”

Zuko nodded, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Then he got out of the car and opened the door for her. Katara nodded her head in thanks as she stepped out, hoping he wouldn’t catch the flush in her cheeks.

“Oh, Zuko! Right on time.” Katara looked up and saw Iroh poking his head out of the door. When he saw her, he lit up in a bright smile. “And Miss Katara! How nice of my nephew to give you a ride.”

Katara smiled at her boss as she slid the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “Well, we both live on campus and work the same shift, so he was nice and offered me a ride.”

Iroh clapped his hands together once, a happy smile on his face. “Wonderful! I am glad you two are getting along.”

She and Zuko exchanged a look. The corner of his mouth turned up and he arched his eyebrow at her, and she stifled a laugh with her hand. Oh, if only Iroh knew the half of it.

“Look, I’ve got to head out and Jin was unable to make it in for her shift today,” Iroh said to Zuko, looking apologetic. “It was her turn to do inventory, so you’ll probably get out of here a little late. I hope that’s okay.”

Zuko looked down at Katara. “Is that okay with you? Inventory can take up to an hour.”

Her first class wasn’t until 11 am the next day, so it didn’t matter to her. Katara shrugged her shoulders and said as much. She barely registered that he had confirmed it with her before answering his uncle. The two of them bid Iroh farewell and got down to work.

Her second day of work went much better with Zuko being in a more amiable mood. He was confident that she could run the register and she did that for most of their shift. When the crowds slowed, he even showed her how to make some of the simpler drinks. He also allowed her to watch him prepare several of the tea brews when she didn’t have an order to take, walking her through the process. 

Zuko offered snippets of advice as he worked, like how the taste of a brew could be affected by overexposure to the air, among other things. He had said he wanted her to have a better understanding of the process so she would be better prepared when the time came for her to make brews herself, but she didn’t miss the rare glimmer in his eye as he explained things to her. She was surprised to realize he was enjoying himself, and clearly liked teaching her. 

She had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that he was a good teacher.

They talked a little between customers. Katara told him she had transferred from GU and was studying poli-sci. Zuko informed her he was getting his degree in Business Information Systems. She was surprised by that choice. Iroh had told her that business was his major, but she was expecting something more along the lines of business management or maybe even entrepreneurship. 

Katara noticed that he didn’t talk much about himself. He was more interested in asking questions about her than he was at answering them about himself. Katara didn’t mind. She was naturally a talkative person, and up until now she had really only been talking to Aang, though their conversations had been mostly relegated to texting. Her busy schedule had prevented her from introducing herself to some of the girls in her dorm, and although she was friendly with a few people from her classes, she had really been pretty isolated. She worried briefly if her talkative nature was a bit overbearing, but Zuko seemed perfectly content to let her dominate the conversation so long as she didn’t stray too close to personal topics.

Finally, the end of the day came and they closed up shop. Katara followed him as he went through the inventory list. 

“So, what were you thinking about doing for our oral presentation?” Katara asked him.

He was crouched down checking the stores of sugar. “Seriously? That’s over a week away. I haven’t even thought about it yet.”

Katara rolled her eyes behind his back. “Well, the sooner we get it done, the better.”

“Overachiever much?” Zuko snorted. 

“Listen, I worked hard to maintain a 4.0 GPA all through high school and for my entire year at GU, and I plan on doing the same here.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Come on, the sooner we get it done, the more time we’ll have to memorize it.”

Zuko looked over his shoulder at her. “Do  _ you _ have any ideas?” Katara pursed her lips. He gave her a pointed look. “That’s what I thought.”

“I was thinking by Saturday I might have one. I just wanted to bounce ideas off of you.” 

“Can’t do Saturday. I’m working the morning shift.”

Then she remembered she had plans anyway—a coffee date? Study date?—with Aang Saturday morning. “What about later, in the afternoon?”

Zuko shook his head. “Nope. I have plans.”

“What, do you have a date or something?” Katara couldn’t help but snort. 

Sure, he was good-looking, even with the scar, but his personality was, for the most part, a turn-off. The arrogant jerk thing he had going on really wasn’t that attractive. Just because she had decided to make nice with him didn’t mean she had to like him.

Zuko didn’t rise to the bait. “Like I said, I have plans.”

Katara sighed. She had wanted one weekend-day to herself, but he wasn’t giving her much of an option. “Okay, what about Sunday? We could go to the library on campus and get started.”

Zuko stood up and turned toward her. He was close to her in the small space of the dry storage room, close enough that she could see the amber and flaxen flecks in his eyes. Katara stepped back and found herself pressed up against the shelf. A ghost of a smirk crossed his lips.

“Sure. What time?”

“We uh...we could go at 11,” Katara suggested.

“That late in the day? What a waste.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Alright. What time would  _ you _ like to go then?”

“Well, if I had it my way, we’d be there when the library opens.”

Katara gaped at him. “But the library opens at 7 o’clock. In the  _ morning. _ ”

“Yes. I’m aware.”

Katara eyed him curiously, like he was some specimen in a lab she couldn’t quite figure out. 

He smirked. “I’m a bit of an early riser.”

“Well, I’m a night owl,” Katara replied. She tapped her finger against her lips thoughtfully. She didn’t miss the way his eyes followed her movement. “The earliest I can do is 9 am. Does that work better for you?”

“I suppose it’ll have to do.” He smirked at her again. 

Katara dropped her gaze to the shelves after giving him a curt nod. She did not like what that look did to her heart.

He finished up the inventory and took her home. He put AWOLNation on and turned the volume up again. Katara was beginning to wonder if maybe he didn’t actually like her at all. 

But when he dropped her off at her dorm, he walked her all the way to the front door and wished her a goodnight, leaving her more confused than she had been before.

* * *

  
  


On Saturday morning, Katara woke up feeling hot. Her skin was flushed and her heart was beating too fast in her chest. Her dream...well, it was really more like an adult movie, was to blame. She could only remember bits and pieces, but she most definitely recalled heavy petting, sloppy kisses, and a pair of tailored denim jeans.

With a gasp Katara remembered the most crucial detail of her dream: the smoldering golden eyes that had seemed to glow in the dark.

She let out a sound that was something between a moan and a laugh.  _ I did not just seriously have a sex dream about...Zuko. No way.  _ But the dampness in her pajama shorts testified that yes, that had indeed been the case.

_ Why?! _ She asked herself.  _ Where did  _ that _ come from?  _ Nothing of  _ that _ nature had happened between them during the past week or the night before, for that matter. It had been a quiet night at work. Quiet even for Zuko. In fact, he had barely talked to her for their entire shift if it didn’t have to do with work. He had seemed to be brooding, and maybe a little mad, and while his tone was clipped, he didn’t seem to be angry with  _ her _ . Katara had opted to not engage. 

The ride home had been just as quiet. He had put  _ Infinity On High _ on, maybe for her or maybe because he had been in the mood for Fall Out Boy, and hadn’t said much at all. He had dropped her off at her dorm, getting out to open the car door, before he bid her goodnight and left. That had been  _ it _ .

Katara had gone to her room and checked out AWOLNation more. She had actually fallen asleep listening to the album,  _ Megalithic Symphony _ . 

_ Maybe that’s why. I was just thinking about him. And it’s not like Zuko isn’t good-looking. He’s actually hot. He’s just not my type.  _ Katara sighed.  _ Yeah, that must be it. _

But that didn’t make the ache between her thighs go away, nor did it quell the heat that had pooled between her thighs. 

Resolutely, before she could talk herself out of it, Katara slipped her hand below the waistband of her shorts. She had really,  _ really _ liked the dream. She closed her eyes and let her fingers work their magic, her cheeks burning with arousal and embarrassment at once. She would never speak of this to anyone, ever. Katara was taking this to her grave.

Right before she reached her climax, there was a knock at her door. Katara, now frustrated, shuddered as she withdrew her fingers. Her cheeks were burning as she grabbed her phone off of the floor. Her headphones were trailing from one end.  _ Just great _ . She’d left it on shuffle but had forgotten to plug it in so it was dead, so she had no way to check the time. 

The knock came again.

“Who is it?” Katara disentangled herself from the sheets and dragged herself from her bed. 

“It’s Aang. You didn’t answer my texts so I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

_ Oh no! Nonono. Crap! Our coffee date.  _ She straightened out her pajama bottoms before smoothing down her hair and grabbing her robe off the hook on the closet door. She shrugged over her shoulders and cinched the knot at her waist. 

Katara crossed the room. She took a deep breath before she flipped the lock and pulled the door open, hoping she didn’t look like she had just been doing what she had been doing.

Aang stood on the other side, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and his orange hoodie. He took her in: the lace trim of her camisole peeked through the lapels of the robe, but thankfully it covered her sleep shorts. Katara saw his eyes widen and his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “Katara, are you okay? Are you sick?”

“I overslept,” Katara spluttered, a bit out of breath. “And I forgot to charge my phone so my alarm didn’t go off.”

“Um...if you want we can reschedule?” 

But the plaintive tone in his voice made it sound like he didn’t want to reschedule, and truthfully, Katara didn’t either. She liked him well enough that she wanted to spend more time with him. And she really needed to have something,  _ anything _ , to get her mind away from Zuko.  _ I won’t let myself get burned again,  _ she thought _. _

“No, no! That’s okay! I still want to go,” Katara enthused.  _ Pull it back a bit _ , she chided herself.  _ Don’t scare him off.  _ She gave him a shy smile and she amended, “Uh, if you want to.”

Aang nodded, a relieved smile pulling at his mouth. “Yeah, sure. Um, I can go wait in the commons while you get...ready.”

“Yeah, that’d be great. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

“Okay.” He turned and headed back down her dorm hall.

Katara shut the door and leaned against it, breathing hard.  _ Get a grip, Katara! _

She peeled herself off the door and went to her dresser, finding something cute and a little flirty for their study date: a pair of high-waisted denim shorts and a low-cut shirt. She changed quickly and raked her brush through her tangled hair, opting to leave it down. She added eyeliner and mascara to the look and hurried to the bathroom to brush her teeth. There she added another one of Suki’s matte lipsticks she had gotten Katara hooked on. She mentally thanked her as she painted it on her lips, tinging them a dusty rose.

Finally, she went back to her room to grab her backpack. She shoved her dead phone and charger into it, telling herself to charge it when they got to the Jasmine Dragon. Katara stumbled as the realization hit her:  _ Zuko _ . He was working the morning shift today. She hoped there were some empty tables in the back, well away from the front counter. Shaking her head, Katara banished the thought. Even if he was there, he’d have his hands full with other customers.

Still, she couldn’t quite shake the niggling feeling from the back of her mind. Steeling herself, she forced herself out the door, hoping the disconcerting feelings wouldn’t follow her.

Aang was waiting for her in the commons as promised, scrolling through his phone.

She got the satisfaction of watching him check her out for the second time in the last twenty minutes. 

“Hey,” Katara said with a smile, feeling much more put together now.

Aang stood up and slid his phone into his pocket. He smiled back at her. “Hey.” He draped his backpack over one shoulder. “Are you ready to go?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

The two of them headed out toward the parking lot. Aang led her over to where he had parked his car. To her surprise, a fluffy white head was sticking out of the back passenger window. A pink tongue lolled out of the dog’s huge mouth, a trail of drooling stretching for the ground.

“That’s Appa,” Aang said as he scratched the dog’s large head. “Don’t worry, he’s really friendly.” He peeked over at Katara. “I hope you’re not allergic.”

“No, I love dogs!” Katara held her fingers out to Appa, who sniffed them before his broad tongue drenched her hand in drool. She wiped her hand on the seat of her shorts. “My brother and I had one as a kid. I didn’t know you had a dog. What breed is he?” 

She peered in the window to see the rest of him. To her surprise, the massive dog was wearing an orange vest.

“He’s my service dog,” Aang explained, sounding almost sheepish. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I...had cancer a few years ago. Brain tumor. I started having seizures after the surgery, so that’s why I have Appa. He’s a Great Pyrnees.”

Katara stared wide-eyed at Aang for a moment. “Oh, wow. I had no idea.”

Aang shrugged as he went around to the driver’s side to unlock the doors. “I don’t talk about it all that much when Appa isn’t around. I don’t want people to feel bad for me, y’know? And they always ask when I have him.”

“I get it.” 

She opened her door and sat down. Aang’s car was vastly different from Zuko’s. It was a Volkswagen Jetta, white with blue racing stripes. It had four doors and it was about a decade old. The seats were tan and the interior was clean. It carried a smell like fresh linen. Appa stretched between the two front seats and pressed his cold, damp nose to her cheek. 

Katara giggled as she reached up to scratch behind his ear. “You’re just a friendly big guy, aren’t you?”

“Too friendly for his own good sometimes. He makes friends with everyone.” Aang buckled up before he petted the dog. He leaned around Appa and offered Katara a smile. “I don’t drive much. I usually ride my longboard. Appa likes to run.”

“Really? Back when I lived in Gaoling, I actually used to skateboard all the time. Until my brother broke my board.” Katara laughed at the memory as she buckled in, setting her backpack on the floorboard at her feet. 

“Well, that’s not cool. You should get another one.” He pushed on Appa’s broad chest. “Come on, boy, get in the back.”

Katara snorted. She was so out of practice now, it would probably be a disaster. “Maybe when I can afford it.”

Aang offered her the aux cord. “You can play whatever you want,” he said.

“My phone’s still dead,” Katara reminded him with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, right. Uh...here.” He plugged his phone into the aux, opened up his Spotify app, and handed it over. “I’ve got a bunch of different music. Play whatever you like. I listen to just about everything.”

Katara wondered if he knew AWOLNation. But she didn’t want to ask, and she didn’t want to play it.  _ You’re supposed to be getting your mind  _ off _ of Zuko, remember?  _ So she settled for neutral territory: Hozier.

The drive down to the Jasmine Dragon was light and amiable and the conversation flowed like a stream. For Katara it was like a breath of fresh air compared to the past few days with Zuko. With Aang, she didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing. She was able to speak her mind without worrying she would trigger his temper. In fact, Aang didn’t seem to have a temper at all.

And, he was good looking too: curly chestnut hair, wide gray eyes, high cheekbones. Maybe he wasn’t as hot as Zuko, but what Aang lacked in looks, he more than made up for in personality.  _ That’s more than I can say for Zuko _ , she thought, before she mentally slapped herself for comparing them at all.

Aang parked around the corner from the tea shop and left the windows cracked for Appa. As he petted the dog and reassured Appa that he would be back, she noted the travel-friendly water bowl on the backseat’s floorboard. Aang clearly cared deeply for his dog, and Katara decided that was another thing she liked about him.

Katara got out of the car before waiting to see if he would open her door for her ( _ like Zuko _ ) and met him on the sidewalk.

“You aren’t going to bring Appa with?” Katara asked. “Don’t service dogs go everywhere with their humans?”

“They’re supposed to.” Aang shrugged. “But Appa is really big, and even though he’s protected by the law...let’s just say we’ve had some problems with restaurant owners in the past.” Aang graciously opened the door for her, and Katara smiled at him as she stepped into the tea shop.

It was busier than she had ever seen it before. The line was nearly to the door and almost all of the tables were full. She could see why Zuko had needed to come in for the morning shift.  _ Maybe he was just mad because he had to work closing and opening, _ Katara thought. 

She would be lying if she said she didn’t scan the room for him. But she didn’t see Zuko.

“You can grab us a table while I go order us some drinks, if you want,” Aang offered.

Katara looked around and let out a little laugh. “If I can find a table.” She looked back at Aang with an apologetic smile. “Maybe we should just take our coffees to go? We can go back to my dorm and study.” 

The words rolled off of her tongue before she could stop them and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. She liked Aang, but she was still a Good Girl, and Good Girls did  _ not _ hook up with guys they barely knew in their dorm rooms under the guise of a study date. She was definitely putting her foot in her mouth.

“Yeah sure, we can do that.” Aang shrugged. “If your roommate doesn’t mind.”

“Oh, I don’t have a roommate.” Katara wanted to face-palm herself. She was  _ not _ helping herself. “I guess I got lucky there. No annoying roommates for me.” 

Never mind her foot; she might have to stuff both of her hands in her mouth to stop her rambling. She looked despairingly at the toes of her sneakers, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. But the floor remained obstinately solid.

“Wow, that really  _ is _ lucky.” Aang faltered as he glanced back at the line. “Well, shall we then?”

They joined the back of the line. Katara crossed her arms over her chest and rocked on the balls of her feet, feeling embarrassed.  _ Way to go. Real smooth. I didn’t know you left your flirting skills behind at GU. You’ll be lucky if he ever wants to talk to you again,  _ Katara mentally berated herself as the queue slowly chugged along.

They stood a comfortable distance apart, a distance that screamed  _ friends,  _ and Katara managed to keep her eyes on anything but Aang. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t think of anything, so the silence stretched between them. Studying would be better. Studying didn’t require all that much talking.

“So...what’s your favorite drink?” Aang asked while they waited.

She looked up at him. “Um, probably lavender and mint. Iced. It’s super good.”

Aang was looking at the menu. “Maybe I’ll try that.”

As they got closer to the front of the line, Katara saw Jin was working at the register again. She sighed in relief. She wasn’t ready to face Zuko, not after her dream. She could still see his smoldering eyes and the tailored jeans that had hung low from his hips...  _ No, Katara, do  _ not _ think about it! _

But dismay soon replaced her relief; when there was just one more customer in front of them, Zuko came striding out of the kitchen and walked resolutely to the register. He and Jin exchanged some words Katara didn’t quite hear, but she definitely didn’t miss the shift in Jin’s demeanor: she had a flirty smile on her face as she stuck one hip out.  _ She likes him, _ Katara realized. Zuko’s body language made it impossible to tell if the feeling was mutual. Maybe Jin was just another Good Girl who wanted to play with fire.

Then Jin ducked into the back and Zuko was at the register.

Finally, she and Aang reached the counter. Katara pressed her lips into a thin line. She knew he would have to look up at some point, but she dreaded it all the same. 

Zuko didn’t lift his eyes from the register as he greeted in monotone, “Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. What can I get for you today?”

Aang looked down at her and indicated she could order first. Katara cleared her throat, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks, and said, “Iced lavender tea with mint, please. And a lemon blueberry muffin.”

Zuko looked up. For a brief moment Katara was able to see his surprise as he took her in. His eyes dropped to her chest for a brief moment before they flickered to Aang, and his expression became a neutral mask again. 

“Okay.” He punched her order in with a little more force than Katara thought was necessary. He looked at Aang again. “What’ll you have?”

“Iced moon peach tea with ginseng and honey and a strawberry and cheese danish, please,” Aang said. If he registered the tension between Katara and Zuko, he didn’t show it. 

“Coming right up.” 

Zuko gave them their total. Katara went to grab her wallet from her purse but Aang beat her to it as he handed a crisp bill over, waving away Katara’s offer to pay. She looked up at Zuko, who appraised the money in Aang’s hand for a brief moment, his expression unreadable, before he took it. Zuko handed back the change and motioned for them to shift to the side to wait for their order. Katara was more than eager to be away from Zuko.

“So, that’s your jerk of a manager, huh?” Aang asked quietly. He peered over at Katara. “How’s that going, by the way? Did he ever say he was sorry for dumping your drink on you?”

“Eventually.” Katara didn’t really want to talk about Zuko with Aang any more than she had to, but she wanted to reassure him that maybe Zuko  _ wasn’t  _ as big of a jerk as she originally thought. “We actually have a class together too. Communication. We’re partners on an assignment so we’ve kind of made a peace treaty.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“He’s still a jerk sometimes, though.” Sort of. At least, Katara thought he was a jerk for popping up in her dream so unexpectedly. 

“Yeah, he looks like he would be.”

Katara snorted out a laugh.

Once they got their drinks, they thanked Jin and waded through the new wave of customers before they made it back to Aang’s car. Soon heading back toward the campus. The awkwardness from the tea shop had disappeared, and they were able to talk about their upcoming homework. Katara set the playlist to random and found that Aang hadn’t been lying when he said he listened to a bit of everything: Fleetwood Mac, The Lumineers, and Lorde all played before they made it back to campus. 

Aang had asked if she was okay with him dropping Appa off at his dorm first, but Katara had told him to bring Appa inside instead, and he positively beamed at her. Katara felt her cheeks heat up, and she distracted herself by petting the dog in question. 

After giving Appa a brief walk on the lawn nearby, they checked in at the monitor’s desk, then Katara led him and Appa back to her dorm room. She was grateful she was a clean person so her room was presentable, but she did have to sweep up her discarded pajamas from that morning before she invited him in. 

Aang staked a claim to her floor, sprawling out on his belly as he booted up his Mac with Appa curling up beside him, and Katara sat at her desk. She had  _ almost _ joined him on the floor, but she didn’t want him to take that as an invitation. Instead, she had gestured to the empty desk.

“You can sit there, if you want,” Katara had told him. “It’s not like it belongs to my roommate or anything.”

“Thanks, but I’m okay. I work better when I can move around more, ya know? Changing positions really gets the creative juices flowing for me.”

Katara had chuckled. “Okay, but it’s there if you want it.”

She finally plugged her phone into the charger. She connected to her Bluetooth and let her music go on shuffle. Florence + the Machine started to play.

“Is that too loud for you?” she asked Aang.

He shook his head. “No, that’s fine.” He gave her a thoughtful smile. “You know, listening to music while studying actually promotes memory retention, especially if you listen to the same music when you take a test about what you learned.”

“I did not know that.” Katara felt her eyebrows lift. “That’s good to know.”

They got to work, falling into a comfortable silence. She had a few assignments to work on for some of her other classes, and she quickly fell into a contented rhythm. But she was done quicker than she had anticipated, so she sneaked a glance at Aang, who was still typing away on his Mac. 

She decided to see if she could come up with a topic for her assignment with Zuko. She would like to show up prepared, just to rub it in his face a bit. 

Katara’s cheeks were suddenly flaming as she recalled her dream. She opened up a new tab on Google and typed in “news”. The first few headlines didn’t catch her eye, but the fourth one down stood out: “Major Fire Nation Company Under Fire For Human Liberties Violations.” Katara clicked on it.

_ A Fire Nation Company, Sozin’s Corporation, a business that operates globally as leader in technological innovations, has been accused of abusing the rights of their workers in the Earth Kingdom Colonies. The workers, who operate some of the manufacturing warehouses owned by Sozin’s Corp., claim that they are underpaid and are forced to work in unsafe conditions. Petitions have been raised to address the alleged lack of benefits for the employees that were promised as supplements to their contracts. No spokesperson has been available for comment at this time. _

Katara read the rest of the article, taking notes in a document on her computer. As a poli-sci major, that article sounded right up her alley. And, as a business major, she thought it might work for Zuko, too.

Aang stuck around until both of their stomachs were rumbling. They shared a look before Katara suggested they break for lunch. He and Appa followed her to a sandwich shop on campus. Katara ordered a sub and she blinked in surprise when Aang opted for a salad.

“I’m a vegetarian,” he explained with a bit of a sheepish smile at her bemused expression.

Katara felt awful. “You should have said something! I would have recommended somewhere a little more vegetarian-friendly,” she told him apologetically.

Aang shrugged as they sat down at a table. Appa folded himself at Aang’s feet. “It’s alright. There’s not a lot of vegetarian places near the campus. Salad is good.”

After lunch, Aang had to go. He explained to her that he was on the track team and he couldn’t be late for practice. Katara said she understood and bid him goodbye with a promise to hang out again soon. She headed back toward her dorm room, wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her Saturday. 

But her question was solved as soon as she reached her door: someone had taped a notice to it. Katara took it down and skimmed it while she unlocked her door. It read,  _ you are cordially invited to the Kata Epi Kata sorority for a night of games, drinking, and socializing. Alcohol and light foods provided. Please arrive at 7 pm.  _ Below that was today’s date and the address. Katara recognized it as the address from the mixer from the previous weekend.

Katara set the paper down on her desk before she sat in her chair, wondering why she had been invited to a sorority. She had no interest in joining one. Was this an attempt to see if she would make a pledge? She didn’t know, but Katara decided she would soon find out.


	6. Chapter 6: Rumors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara goes to the sorority.

_ And all the boys say she was sent from the heavens, _

_ But I’m not too sure that this girl is a blessing. _

_ She’s got the Devil’s eyes and they’ll cut you like a weapon. _

_ She’s stuck in my mind like a bad obsession. _

_ Got bad intentions. _

**_“Rumors” by NEFFEX_ **

* * *

Katara headed down the sidewalk to the sorority house. The nerves she had felt going to the mixer last weekend had been replaced by curiosity, and again she wondered what the sorority wanted from her. Katara had asked around her dorm hall to see if anyone else had gotten a mysterious invite, but no one had. The apparent secrecy around the event only piqued her interest further.

She had killed time waiting for 7 pm to roll around by working on her Comm homework a bit more. She was intrigued by the ethics surrounding the Sozin’s Corp’s scandal, so she had delved a bit more into the company’s history, penned a brief overview for the written report, and had begun outlining the speech. She had even divided it into sections where she would alternate speaking with Zuko. Satisfied, she had set her work aside and set off for the showers. 

Thankfully the showers were mostly empty at 4:30 in the afternoon, so Katara got her pick of the shower stalls and was able to get in and out fairly quickly. That worked in her favor since she ended up spending an agonizing twenty minutes going over what she should wear. 

What  _ did _ one wear to a sorority party? In the end, she had donned a pair of high-waisted black shorts and a white V-neck t-shirt, which she tucked into the waistband, along her white Chuck Taylor high-tops. 

As she applied her makeup, she decided she needed Suki’s input, and had called her on FaceTime.

Suki was laying on her dorm bed with textbooks surrounding her. “What’s up, beautiful? Ooh!” She sat upright when she saw Katara. “Who are you looking so nice for?”

“No one,” Katara replied as she fanned the mascara brush over her eyelashes. “I got invited to a party at a sorority house and I’m trying to get ready, but I can’t decide if I want to wear lipstick or not.”

“Depends. Is it just a party? Or are they going to ask you to pledge?”

“I don’t know. I got back from lunch and found this on my door.” She held it up for Suki to see.

Suki frowned thoughtfully. “Hm, kind of vague, isn’t it? It could be a party, or it could be an invitation. If it’s an invitation, will you join?”

“Hell no. I like having my own dorm room too much.” 

“Alright. What colors were you thinking?”

Katara set her mascara aside and picked up the lipsticks she had chosen: one was a dusty rose, and the other was a deep red. “One of these, I think.”

“Red,” Suki answered without hesitation. “You look hot as hell with red lips.” She smirked playfully. “And if it is an invite. you’ll look fierce as hell when you reject their offer.”

Katara huffed out a small laugh. “Thanks, Suki.”

“You’re welcome. Let me know how it goes, okay? And don’t let them rope you into it if you don’t want to. It’s your call. And remember to trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is”

“I know. And I’ll keep you posted.”Katara leaned closer to her mirror and painted her lips. 

“You better.” A mischievous smile crept onto her face. “So, how's it going with Mr. Jerkface?”

“I thought you told me to start using his name,” Katara reminded her pointedly.

“I did, but that doesn’t mean  _ I  _ have to use it.” Suki grinned. “Either way, how’s that going?”

Katara looked away from her screen as she shrugged. Suki was scarily perceptive and there was no way she wouldn’t see Katara’s blush. She was  _ not _ going to tell Suki about her dream. “It’s okay, I guess. He’s…nice? I don’t think that’s the right word, but he’s mellowed out a bit. He hasn’t been as much of a jerk lately, at any rate.”

“Hmph.”

Katara eyed her friend on her phone screen. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just interesting, is all.” Suki’s expression was one of perfect neutrality, and Katara didn’t like it at all. She frowned a bit.

“Yeah. Anyway we’re meeting up tomorrow at  _ nine in the morning _ to work on our project together.” Katara rolled her eyes at this as she slipped her shoes on.

“Ooh, are you studying in  _ your _ dorm room?” Suki bobbled her eyebrows at the phone.

Katara got the hint and shot a scowl at Suki. “ _ No _ . We’re meeting at the library.”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Lame.”

Katara knit her brows together. “ _ Why _ are you encouraging me to go after this guy? He’s bad news.”

Suki wagged a finger at her. “No, no, you  _ think _ he’s bad news. You had a bad first impression, that’s all. I think you should give him a chance.”

“ _ Why? _ ” 

Suki’s expression softened. “Don’t you think it’s been long enough? I know things were bad last year, what with—” She waved her hand through the air, not needing to say his name. “—but maybe it’s time to find someone new.” She fixed Katara with a hopeful look.

Katara rolled her eyes. She knew that Suki wasn’t necessarily wrong. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to hear it. “Well, even if it is time, that doesn’t mean it should be Zuko.” She thought of Aang. “There’s another guy I’ve met too. And he’s an  _ actual _ nice guy.”

“Well, do what you think is best.” Suki spread her hands wide. “I’m just saying, I don’t think you should write him off just yet”

Katara had ended the call shortly after, feeling annoyed with her best friend. She knew that she meant well, and she could grudgingly see Suki’s logic. It had been five months since Katara had broken things off with her last boyfriend. Five months of angry tears and heartache and grief. That had been the entire reason for her transfer to BSSU. 

But that didn’t mean Katara should put herself into a new relationship, especially when she wasn’t even sure she was ready to commit. Jet had been her first serious relationship, and it had  _ not _ gone well in the end. She wasn’t sure she could open herself up like that to another person again just yet. It hurt too much the first time around. And sure, Aang was sweet, but Katara wasn’t even sure if she liked him like  _ that _ . And Zuko? Katara wasn’t even going to go there.

So she had left for the sorority and locked away all thoughts about boys in her dorm room to be examined later. To help keep her mind off of things, she let Billie Eilish fill her ears. 

When she made it to her destination, she noticed that this time, there was no bass thumping through the neighborhood and no cars clogged the quiet street. Katara walked up the front walk and rang the doorbell. 

A moment later the door swung open and a pretty girl with wide gray eyes and a sweet smile stood on the other side. She had her brown hair in a braid down her back and she wore a pale pink blouse with blue skinny jeans. She smiled brightly at Katara.

“Hi! You’re Katara, right?” The girl’s voice was just as sweet as she looked.

“That’s me,” Katara answered.

The girl stepped aside to let her in. “I’m Ty Lee. Welcome to the Kata Epi Kata sorority!” 

Katara followed Ty Lee through the house as the girl gave a quick tour while she led Katara down into the basement. Katara idly wondered if they were planning on drugging and killing her.  _ You’ve seen too many movies,  _ she chastised herself. 

The basement had been furnished into a sort of rec room. There were black leather couches, a large flat screen TV, and even a small bar. Taylor Swift’s album,  _ Folklore _ , played quietly from a set of speakers in one corner. The entire place reeked of wealth. Katara couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed that before, although she had been a little preoccupied talking with Aang the last time she had been here, and she hadn’t gone down to the basement. Was the rest of the house this nice? She couldn’t remember. 

Katara shook her head. She wouldn’t let her decision be swayed by the opulence of this place. If she joined at all, it would be for the people who were there, not what or who they had access to.

There were nearly a dozen other girls spread out across the couches, most of whom smiled at her in a friendly way while others offered small waves. Katara smiled shyly in return. 

“Girls, this is Katara!” Ty Lee introduced her with an enthusiastic wave. She looked back over at her. “Can I get you something to drink? We have enough alcohol to stock a bar.”

“Maybe just some water,” Katara replied. She wasn’t going to drink until she knew they weren’t going to drug her—or at least until she figured out why she was here. It never hurt to be careful.

“Sure!” Ty Lee flitted over to the bar and returned a moment later with a chilled bottle of water.

Katara broke the seal and took a sip, rocking back on her heels awkwardly. Most of the girls were still watching her, and it made her a little uncomfortable. At least the water was safe.

Ty Lee turned back to the group. “Let me introduce you to my fellow sisters.” 

Ty Lee rattled off the names in rapid-fire succession, pointing to each girl in turn. Katara forgot them almost as soon as they left Ty Lee’s mouth. The only one that stuck with her was a girl named Mai, who sat tucked into the corner of a couch nursing a drink. She was clad in black leggings and a charcoal-colored vest over a crimson long-sleeved t-shirt. Her makeup was dark eye shadow and sharp eyeliner with red highlights. Mai appraised her coolly and offered a curt nod in greeting. 

When Ty Lee was done introducing the sorority sisters, she turned back to Katara. “Our last sister, Azula, will be down in a moment. Why don’t you have a seat while we wait?”

Katara did, sitting down on the unoccupied end of one of the love seats. She took another sip of her water as she discreetly scanned the room. 

The more time she spent here, the more she suspected they were going to ask her to join. Katara just wanted to know  _ why. _ She didn’t know a lot about sororities, but she thought that girls who wanted to join had to make a pledge of some kind. She didn’t think that the sorority could have a reason to actively recruit her. So why was she here?

Ty Lee sat cross-legged on the floor beside Mai and folded her hands in her lap. She smiled cheerfully at Katara. “So, what's your major?”

“Political science,” Katara answered. 

“Oh, that’s neat!” 

Ty Lee asked a few more innocuous questions, but she stopped when she heard the door at the top of the stairs open. A moment later Katara could hear the steady click-click of high heels on the wooden steps. She braced herself to meet the owner of those footsteps. Already her gut was on alert.  _ Not a good sign _ , she thought. For some reason, Katara was sure that the newcomer was the leader of the sorority.

As she rounded the corner, Katara felt the breath catch in her throat. She stiffened subconsciously. Suddenly, her carefully-chosen clothes felt like crude rags in comparison to this girl’s attire. 

She was the most beautiful girl Katara had ever seen. She had long, shapely legs encased in a tight pair of black skinny jeans, and she wore a cropped red top that showed off her toned stomach and perky boobs. Her dark hair was pulled up in a neat topknot on the top of her head, and two locks hung down to frame her face. Her makeup was striking and perfect, and accentuated her almond-shaped eyes and red bow-shaped lips perfectly. Even the way she sauntered into the room made Katara think of a perfect princess, surveying her subjects. Katara shivered in spite of herself.

“I’m sorry I’m a little late,” she said, her voice oozing confidence. Her golden eyes locked onto Katara and she smiled. “Ah, Katara, it is a  _ pleasure _ to meet you.” She ghosted across the room and offered her manicured hand. Katara took it. The girl had a proper shake. “I’m Azula.”

“Nice to meet you,” Katara murmured. She was a little off-put by this girl. Her eyes were filled with a cold intelligence that didn’t seem right for a college-aged girl. That look reminded Katara of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

Azula sat down on the loveseat beside Katara, crossing one leg over her knee. She glanced down at Ty Lee. “Ty Lee, get me a vodka cranberry.” 

“Right away!” Ty Lee sprang to her feet and hurried to the bar. 

Azula turned back to Katara and looked at her the way someone might appraise a prized cow at auction. Katara had to resist the urge to squirm uncomfortably.

“So, you’re probably wondering why I invited you here,” Azula said without preamble. A predatory smile curved across her red lips. “Well, one of our sorority sisters has left us, and we need to fill her spot.”

“Don’t sororities usually have pledges for that kind of thing?” Katara inquired. She wasn’t sure what to make of this. 

The smile didn’t waver. “Yes, but Kata Epi Kata is an exclusive sorority. We don’t let just anyone in. We only accept the best of the best. And you, Katara, make the cut.” Ty Lee came back with the vodka cranberry. Azula took a dainty sip. 

Katara took advantage of Azula’s brief pause to ask a question. “May I ask how you found out about me?”

“Of course.” Azula rested her drink on her knee as she considered Katara carefully. “I’m quite impressed with you, to be frank. We keep tabs on promising students who enroll at BSSU, and your record caught our attention. You’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA since high school, but you’re not only intelligent, you’re also athletic and you come with good recommendations.” She smiled at Katara. “Does that sufficiently answer your question?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Katara nodded hesitantly, though Azula scarcely seemed to notice. She wasn’t sure she liked the thought of being vetted before she even knew there was something to be vetted for. “Why don’t you tell me more about Kata Epi Kata, then?”

“Of course.” Azula took another sip of her drink before her gaze fell on Katara again. “Kata Epi Kata is a  _ private  _ sorority, not a part of a national chapter. It’s been a part of BSSU since the university’s inception. We have always strived to be the best of the best in everything we do, from those we accept as sisters to our philanthropic aspirations. All of our sisters are amongst the academic elite here. We pride ourselves on our charitable works as well as our contributions to the college. We host fundraisers to raise money for disadvantaged youth and for hospitals and medical clinics in rural areas. Here on campus, we organize events like the mixer we hosted last weekend. We run study programs and encourage socializing and fraternizing to help our students forge connections in their chosen fields of study, so that they have a foot in the door when they receive their degree. Is that answer satisfactory?”

It was, and it also solidified Katara’s answers. She had never had the desire to be a part of a sorority, and all of that sounded like more work than even  _ she _ could handle. Even though some of the things Kata Epi Kata participated in were things Katara was interested in, it just wasn’t a good time for her to join. And Azula still made her uneasy.

“Yes, thank you,” Katara answered.

“Good.” Azula leaned closer to Katara, her sly grin on her pretty face. “So consider this an official invitation to the Kata Epi Kata sorority. What do you say?”

Katara’s hands were damp with sweat. If she’d had her doubts before, she was almost certain of them now. There was something deeply unsettling about Azula, and the fact that she couldn’t quite pin down what made her uneasy made her all the more ready to get back to her dorm room. It was that gleam in her golden eyes. Katara had always associated those from the Fire Nation with spark and fire, but Azula’s eyes were cold. Katara felt like an animal backed into a corner, like Azula was a predator and she was the prey. 

She swallowed hard and faced Azula with a calmness she didn’t quite feel. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline,” Katara said politely. 

Azula sat back, her brows furrowing, as if she couldn’t believe Katara had dared to turn her down. “Why?” Her tone had taken on a petulant note.

Katara blinked. “Um, I’m just not interested in joining a sorority at this time. As I’m sure you know, my plate is a little full at the moment. And I’m still adjusting to Ba Sing Se. It’s a lot different from Gaoling.”

Azula arched a perfect brow at her. “You do realize what I’m offering, don’t you? I’m giving you a spot in our sorority, no questions asked, no pledge needed. None of that. Kata Epi Kata is one of the most sought-after sororities in the entire college. We have girls who enroll at this school just for a chance to be given this opportunity, and you’re just going to turn it  _ down _ ?”

Katara peered at Azula for a brief moment. She could hear the indignation in the girl’s voice, and her displeasure was obvious in the tight grip she had on her vodka cranberry. Her eyes flashed coldly. But Katara wasn’t going to cave. In fact, if this was her reaction to rejection, Katara thought she  _ would _ be better off without the added stress. She suddenly realized that she was sure that she wanted nothing to do with Azula or her sorority.

“I am,” Katara finally answered, her tone guarded and careful. “I’m really honored that you offered me a place in your sorority, but as I said, I’m not interested.” Katara stood up. “Thank you for inviting me. I’ll show myself out.”

Azula’s eyes narrowed into slits. But a moment later the feral smile was back on her lips. Warning bells went off in Katara’s head. She could feel her fight-or-flight instinct kicking in.

Azula got to her feet. In her high heels she was a few inches taller than Katara. Katara had to resist the urge to shrink away from her. Azula's smile never wavered.

“Well, if you change your mind—” She took a sip of her vodka cranberry, the corner of her lips turning up into something that resembled a smile. “—you know where we are.”

* * *

Katara climbed into bed that night trying to shake off the uneasy feeling she’d had since leaving the sorority. She wanted to forget about Azula and her offer, but she mostly wanted to forget the way Azula made her feel. 

She grabbed her book—she was reading  _ Pride and Prejudice  _ again—and settled under her duvet, tucking her stuffed turtle seal under her arm. She slipped her headphones in and hit shuffle.  _ Save Rock’n’Roll _ started to play. Her finger hovered over the “skip” button, but she changed her mind. 

It was getting late—nearly ten pm—but she suddenly realized she wanted to make sure she and Zuko were still on for their library meet-up. There was no way in hell she was getting up that early unless she absolutely  _ had _ to. So she texted him.

K> _ Still on for tomorrow at 9? _

She opened her book, not expecting an immediate response, but was surprised when her phone vibrated on the bed beside her. She looked. It was a one-word response.  _ How typical. _

Z> _ Yes _

Katara held her phone in her hand, chewing her bottom lip. It didn’t really require a response, but she wanted to say something back. She had done a fairly good job keeping her mind off of him all day. Why not indulge a little? A text was innocent enough. Nothing more had to come of it.

K> _ See you then. Good night. _

She held onto the phone, her book forgotten, wondering if he would text her back. To her surprise, he did. 

Z> _ Night. _

Katara smiled to herself. She put her phone down and turned her eyes back toward the book, determined to get some reading done before she went to sleep. She wanted to get up early so she would have time to get ready. Not that she was trying to impress him or anything. 

Her phone buzzed again and her heart jumped into her throat, wondering if he had, for some reason, texted her again. A momentary worry crossed her mind: what if he was canceling all of a sudden? 

But when she checked her phone, it was just a text from Suki. She let out a breath, unsure if she was disappointed or relieved.

S> _ What did the sorority want?  _

K> _ For me to join. I said no. Tell you more in the morning. I’m going to bed. Good night.  _

Suki texted her a moment later saying goodnight, and then Katara threw herself into her reading. It was easy to fall back into Lizzie’s world and become involved in her troubles and problems, to forget about her own for a while. 

But, when Mr. Darcy stepped into the story, for the first time Katara did not see his eyes as blue as she always did. Instead, his eyes were gold.


	7. Chapter 7: Dysfunctional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Zuko meet up to work on their project. At first, things go well, and then they don't, and then it's...ok?

_ I’m a little dysfunctional, don’t you know? _

_ If you push me, it might be bad. _

_ Get a little emotional, don’t you know? _

_ Might fool around and make me mad. _

_ Don’t make me mad. _

**_“Dysfunctional” by Tech N9ne_ **

* * *

Katara was sitting on a bench shaded by a large oak tree when Zuko came striding up. She checked the time on her phone: 9:00 am exactly. She had left early, wanting to get there before he did, maybe to prove a point. To her surprise he was carrying two drinks in his hands. Katara appraised them with an arched eyebrow. 

“Lavender and mint, right?” Zuko asked as he passed her one of the drinks.

Katara saw the familiar logo on the side. “You went all the way to the Jasmine Dragon for tea? There’s coffee shops on campus.”

“ _ You _ did. Yesterday.”

“I actually went there to study, but it turned out to be busier than I expected.” Zuko arched his brow quizzically and she took a sip of her tea to distract herself. She didn’t have to explain herself to him. 

“Mm-hm.” Katara looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. As usual, his expression was unreadable. “Are you ready to go in? I’d like to grab a room before they’re all taken.”

“Yeah, sure. Although I’m sure most of our fellow students agree with me when I say 9 am is too early to study on a weekend.” 

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Yet here you are.”

“Yet here I am.” Katara’s lips quirked into something like a smile as she stood up and slung her bag over one shoulder. “Thanks for the tea.” She was pleasantly surprised that he had remembered her order. 

Zuko gave a subtle half-smirk. “Don’t mention it.”

Katara followed Zuko into the library. She hadn’t been into it yet, but it was clear Zuko was familiar with it. At this time of the day, the library  _ was _ mostly empty. Katara had been right—clearly no one else wanted to study at this time of the morning, either. Especially not on the weekend.

He walked right over to the circular desk off to one side of the room where a middle-aged man with glasses sat with his nose buried in a book. Katara had to squint to make out the name ‘Professor Zei’ printed on his badge.

Katara looked around while Zuko signed them up for a study room. There were shelves upon shelves of books, each labeled with the proper genres and alphabetized. There was a computer pod on the right side of the room, and plenty of tables and cozy seating in the middle. There was even an electric fireplace on the far wall. But Zuko wanted a study room. Why? Katara didn’t know. Maybe he just wanted the privacy to focus on their assignment?

Her eyes fell back on the conversation between Professor Zei and Zuko in time to see the professor peering around Zuko to survey Katara. She took an involuntary step back. His eyes sparkled with intelligence and they studied her as though she were a fascinating artifact. He didn’t break away from his conversation with Zuko, but Katara felt her skin crawl. She stepped behind Zuko and effectively broke the gaze, as he was a head and shoulders taller than her. 

Finally, Zuko turned back from the desk and started for the stairs. “I got us a study room reserved for the next three hours. That should be plenty of time.”

Katara, thinking of how far she had already gotten on the assignment, nodded as she followed him. “Yeah, that should be more than enough.” She glimpsed back at the front desk, but the professor had already stuck his nose back in his book. Katara frowned.

“Is everything okay?” Katara looked up, startled. Zuko followed her gaze back to Professor Zei. “Yeah, he’s a bit of an oddball, isn’t he?”

“You can say that again,” Katara muttered.

Zuko led the way up the stairs and down a hallway to study room 27. The room was small and comfortable, with four chairs scattered around a round table, as though the last occupants hadn’t set them straight. Photographs of the college through the years adorned the walls. There was also a well-worn loveseat beneath the window that looked out over the campus. 

The window offered a view that spanned across the swatch of grass in front of the library and across the parking lot and campus. The sunlight glinted off of the gilded roofs and gave the college an appearance similar to a Post-Impressionism painting.

Zuko went over to the table and set his drink down. Then he pulled out a chair before moving to the other side of the table and sitting down in his own seat.

Katara sank into the chair as she set down her tea and pulled her backpack into her lap. She quirked a brow at him. “You really  _ are  _ well-mannered, you know.”

“Why is that so surprising?” Zuko snapped. He was scowling at her.

Katara held up her hands. “Sorry. I was just trying to be nice.”

Zuko let out a huff of frustration. “Forget it.” He opened his backpack and pulled out his laptop. 

Katara did the same. Her hand brushed over her Bluetooth speaker at the bottom of her bag. She always listened to music when she studied, and now she was wondering if what Aang had said about memory retention was true.

“Do you mind if I play some music?” Katara asked him. 

Zuko looked up from his computer screen. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “Sure, as long as I can play my music next time.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Next time?”

“It doesn’t sound like this will be the last time we have to do a project together for Comm, Katara,” Zuko drawled. The small smile was still playing on his lips. “Don’t you think?”

Katara felt heat creep into her cheeks. “Oh, right.” She pulled out her speaker and connected her phone to it. She scrolled through her playlists. “Any requests or preferences?”

His shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Play whatever you want.”

Katara continued to scroll through her playlists, wondering what she should play. With a wicked smile, she decided to gauge his reaction. She shuffled  _ Infinity On High. _ The first song to play was  _ The Take Over, the Breaks Over.  _ When Katara looked up at him, he was smirking crookedly back at her.

“Is this okay?” Katara asked with a faux-shy smile. Clearly, he was entertained by her choice of music. 

The smirk was back on his face. “This is just fine.” He grabbed his drink and took a sip. 

Katara eyed it. Whatever it was, it looked good. It was a blended drink that was a mix of red, blue, and purple. “What is that?” she asked, nodding toward his drink.

Zuko glanced over at it. “It’s a secret menu item. It’s called Dragonslayer.”

“Secret menu item?” Katara opened her laptop and typed in her password, frowning curiously. “We have a secret menu?”

“Nope.  _ I  _ have a secret menu. If my uncle knew I infused his jasmine tea with an energy drink, he would disown me.” 

At that Zuko chuckled. It was the second time Katara had ever heard him laugh, and she stared at him for a moment, a pleasantly surprised smile on her face. He caught her gaze and Katara looked away, blushing. 

She recovered by letting out a little laugh. “I can’t see Iroh doing that. He seems so laid back and chill.” 

“Don’t let his happy-go-lucky persona fool you. He’s as ruthless as a war general when he wants to be,  _ especially _ when it comes to tea.” Zuko fixed her with a hard look. “He nearly disowned me when I told him that tea is just hot leaf juice.”

“I mean, it’s true.” She snickered.

Zuko stretched as he spoke, jerking his chin in her direction. Katara was rewarded with the sight of a sliver of pale skin above the waistband of his jeans, and Katara tried to ignore the way her heartbeat sped up in her chest. “I know that, but  _ you _ go try and explain that to my uncle and see how far it gets you.”

She was surprised to find that they were actually getting along, and that she was enjoying herself. That had been the last thing she had expected to feel today. But this light joking between them had seemed to break the remaining tension, and Katara found that she was grateful for it. 

“So what is it, exactly?” Katara asked, nodding to his drink, as she opened up the outline she had typed up yesterday. “It looks good.”

“Like I said, it’s jasmine tea. I blended it with a blue raspberry energy drink and added raspberry and some blackberry drizzle.” To her surprise, he slid it across the table to her. “You can try it, if you want.”

“Yeah, sure.” 

Katara did want to try it. She grabbed it and brought the straw to her mouth, trying not to think about how his mouth had been on that straw. She took a small sip and was greeted with a pleasant, fruity flavor that had the sharp bite of an energy drink. She could taste the tang of raspberry, blackberry, and blue raspberry, as well as the soft flavor of jasmine underneath. It was delicious. 

“Mm,” Katara couldn’t help but moan. She took one more sip. “That’s really good, Zuko.” She looked up to see him smiling genuinely at her. She returned the look as she passed the drink back to him. “I want one of those next time, if you ever bring us drinks again.”

His eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’ll remember that.” 

Katara smiled and dropped her eyes back to her screen, hoping he didn’t see her blush.  _ We are  _ not  _ going there, Katara. I don’t care what Suki said.  _

She cleared her throat. “So I got started a little bit yesterday. I found a topic we both might be interested in and I started drafting our speech. Do you want to see what I have so far?”

“Sure.” 

Katara turned her laptop around and pushed it toward him. Zuko pulled it closer and started skimming over her work. She watched his expression go from neutral to angry in less than ten seconds. He spun the laptop around and shoved it, rather hard, back across the table at her. Katara startled at the abrupt display of anger.

“No. We’re not doing that topic,” Zuko said, his voice low and angry. 

Katara frowned. “What? Why not?” She had thought he would like it. She wondered what had triggered his temper.

“Because we’re just not.”

Katara narrowed her eyes at him. Who did he think he was? “I'm sorry, who put you in charge? This is a good story to do a speech and a report on, given both of our majors. And I already put some work into it. I spent practically all afternoon on it yesterday!”

“That’s not my problem. We’re supposed to be working on this  _ together _ , and you didn’t even ask my opinion. And my opinion is that I don’t want to do this topic.”

Katara clenched her hands in frustration. She didn’t want to fight with him, but he was being unreasonable! And she didn’t like the way he was talking to her, like she was an insolent child and he was the frustrated parent telling her off. Maybe she  _ should _ have asked him first, but she didn’t understand why he had to be so angry about it.

“Why the hell not?”

Zuko’s eyes flashed to hers. They were like twin flames. For several moments he didn’t respond. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, and she could see the tense set of his shoulders. Katara knew she was heading into dangerous waters, but she was also sick of him acting like he had the final word. Before she could question her resolve, she scowled at him.

“Give me one valid reason why we shouldn’t do our project on this issue with Sozin’s Corp.,” Katara said.

Zuko leaned across the table toward her. “I don’t have to give you a reason. I’m not doing it. We can find another topic.”

Katara growled in frustration. She gestured angrily to her laptop. “This topic is  _ perfect.  _ It literally works for  _ both  _ of our majors. And I already started working on it!”

“You should have waited until today so we could come up with a topic together,” Zuko spat back at her. 

“If you can't give me a reason why we can’t work on this one, then there’s no good reason  _ not _ to do the report on Sozin’s Corp!”

His tone was flat. “No.”

Katara gave him a scathing look. With an irate huff, she slammed her laptop closed and shoved it into her backpack. When he didn’t react, she jammed her finger onto her speaker’s power button. The silence was heavy with the music gone, but Katara didn’t care. She threw it into her bag. Zuko glowered at her wordlessly as she stood up and shrugged her backpack onto her shoulders.

“Since you've decided to be so damn unreasonable,  _ I’m  _ going to go enjoy the rest of my Sunday,” she snapped at him. She reached for the doorknob and yanked it open with more force than necessary. “Call me when you’re done with being a total jerk, Zuko. Though I doubt  _ that  _ will ever happen.”

“Yeah, don’t hold your breath.”

The tone of his voice made her look back over her shoulder at him. There was no heat to his words, no malice. He had gotten to his feet, and he was leaning over the table, his fists pressed against the tabletop. He wasn’t looking at her, but rather, his gaze was fixed on his whitening knuckles. 

He didn’t look angry anymore. He almost looked...regretful. 

Katara hesitated in the doorway, feeling a sharp tug on her heart strings. Her first reaction was to be frustrated with him for the way he had talked to her. But, as usual, she could hear Gran-Gran’s voice in the back of her mind, telling her to be forgiving and that people deserved a second chance.

With a heavy sigh, she finally spoke up. “Zuko?”

He raised his head to look at her. His face was stoic again, but his eyes burned bright. He exhaled and straightened, running one hand through his hair. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be a jerk, and I’m not trying to disregard the work you put in, but I  _ really _ can't do the project on that particular subject.”

Katara crossed her arms over her chest as she appraised him. “Can you at least tell me why?”

“No.” She arched a brow at him, and he growled low in his throat, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Not right now, okay?” 

She scoffed. “Seriously? You blow up on me, and expect me to be okay with it,  _ without _ an explanation?” 

He looked at her. He almost seemed to be pleading with her with his eyes. “Yes.” He rapped his fingers on the tabletop and let out a heavy sigh. “Look, after we're done here, I’ll tell you. Okay?” 

She could hear the word he didn’t say in the undercurrent of his voice:  _ please.  _ He was trying. That seemed to be the most he was willing, or able, to compromise. 

“Okay,” Katara said after a moment. 

She sat back down at the table, and Zuko seemed to relax. He dropped into his seat as well, and then the two of them began to work on their project.


	8. Chapter 8: Windows

_ Do we really know the way the wind blows? _

_ Are we really safe around our shadows? _

_ Do we really know the way the wind blows _

_ Through our windows? _

**_“Windows” by AWOLNation_ **

* * *

They finished up shortly before their time in the study room was up. They had found a topic they could both agree on—an upcoming hearing on women’s rights in the North Pole—and had gotten well into writing their speech and report. Katara still didn’t like this topic as much as she did the one about Sozin’s Corp, but at least Zuko wasn’t angry with her anymore.

She also had to admit that he was good at writing. He had a way with words that she didn’t, which was a surprise considering he wasn’t much of a talker. Katara was certain they were going to get a good grade on this project, mostly because of him.

When they were done, they packed up their things and went back down to the desk. Zuko signed them out, and then they stepped outside into the warm sunshine of a beautiful mid-September day. 

Zuko stopped just outside of the library and looked down at Katara. His brow was creased a bit. “I guess you still want that explanation, huh?”

“Definitely.” Katara nodded. “You said you would.” 

He let out a sigh as his eyes combed over the campus grounds. “You wanna go for a drive? I kind of want to get out of here for a while.”

“Uh, sure.” 

Katara looked up at him. The day just kept getting more interesting. What was so bad about this topic that he felt the need to leave campus to tell her about it? She was dying to know.

He spun on his heel and started down the sidewalk. “My dorm is this way.”

Katara and Zuko walked across the campus. His dorm was nearly on the other side, almost completely opposite of hers. She noticed that he kept pace with her instead of loping ahead as he usually did.

“So, if your uncle lives here in the city, why don’t you just live with him instead of paying for on-campus housing?” Katara asked while they walked.

Zuko pulled a face like he had just eaten something sour. “Well, I  _ was _ living with my uncle, before college. I was planning on staying there too, but he thought living on-campus would be a ‘humbling’ experience.” He rolled his eyes. “He just about kicked me out of the house.”

Katara arched a brow at him, an amused smile pulling at her lips. “Hm, I don’t think it’s working. You don’t seem humbled at all.”

Zuko scowled down at her. Then he looked back up again. “I might move back off-campus after this semester. Assuming I can talk my uncle into it. My roommate is a complete loser.” 

“Aw, but if you do that, who will give me rides home from work?” 

Katara had meant it as a joke, but Zuko quietly said, “I’ll still bring you home.” 

Katara smiled at him. She was suddenly glad she hadn’t picked a fight with him. This Zuko was much more amiable than the one who’d exploded at the library. She was glad she hadn’t left him there. 

Once they had settled into a routine back at the library, the work had flowed easily, even if his method  _ was _ a bit odd: he tended to work alone, until he had an idea he could ingratiate into the speech, or until he’d typed up enough to show her. But as time went on, she had become used to it, and they had actually ended up working pretty well together, which was surprising, given their rocky start. The afternoon was turning into something that was almost...nice. Even if her curiosity was burning her up inside. 

It surprised her how much the study session had warped her perspective of him. It seemed that every time she was with him, he showed her another side of him. Whether he meant to or not, he was keeping her on her toes. She never knew what to expect. And seeing as how Zuko was one of the few people she actually talked to regularly on campus, she realized that she liked learning new things about him.

He gestured to the building. “You mind if I drop my stuff off before we head out?”

Katara shook her head. “No, no problem.” 

She wasn’t going to assume that he was going to invite her up to his dorm room, but a small part of her hoped. Bedrooms said a lot about people, and she was interested to see what his room had to say about him.

But when Zuko strode up to the door and held it open for her, she took it as her invitation, and Katara stepped over the threshold into his dorm building. It wasn’t much different from the girls’ dorm, but it had a distinctive male scent to it. The common area was almost identical, and even the monitor’s desk was practically the same.

Zuko led the way over to the elevator bank and pressed the button to go up. Katara stood beside him and crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t think of anything. A few moments later it opened and a group of guys came pouring out. 

One of them saw Zuko and grinned, nodding in greeting, before he saw Katara. He gave her an appreciative once-over before looking back at Zuko with a lewd grin on his face. 

“Way to go, Zuko! Put a sock on the door, would ya?” He thumped Zuko’s shoulder as he brushed past them, and Zuko recoiled with a scowl. 

Katara felt the heat rise in her cheeks and she fixed him with an icy glare. He didn’t get the message. Why were guys so crude?

“Watch your mouth, Chan,” Zuko snapped, bristling. 

But Chan just jeered. “Have fun!”

Zuko stomped into the elevator and Katara squeezed past the leering guys to stand beside him, her cheeks burning. She caught sight of the sexual gestures Chan and the others were making just before the elevator doors slid shut.

“Oh  _ hell _ no!” Katara jammed her finger on the ‘open doors’ button repeatedly, her mouth pressed into an angry line. But the elevator was already moving up.

Zuko raised his brow at her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going back down there to teach that jerk-face a lesson! Just wait ‘til I get my hands on him—” She was disgusted and angry, but her words were cut short by Zuko.

“Forget about him. He’s a loser.” Zuko placed his hand on her shoulder and gently tugged her away from the panel. She could feel the warmth of his hand through her shirt, and suddenly he had her full attention. “Trust me, he won’t learn anything by it either. Guys like that never do.” Katara turned her face up to him, and Zuko huffed out a breath. “Sorry about that. I didn’t think he’d be here, or else I wouldn’t have bothered to stop by.”

Katara deflated. Zuko was probably right. She leaned against the wall beside him. “It’s fine. It’s not your fault.”

“That was a perfect example of why I’m seriously considering moving out,” Zuko muttered. “Chan is a pig.”

Katara looked up at him. His head was leaned back against the wall of the elevator and he was studying the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing he had ever seen. His unscarred cheek was flushed, and his brows were furrowed.

“So, that’s your roommate.” Katara snorted. “I can see why you want to leave.” She didn’t want that encounter to ruin the decent mood he had been in, so she nudged him with her elbow. “Well, I don’t have a roommate. You’re welcome to come hang out with me any time.” 

Realizing what she said, a blush rose in her cheeks again as her eyes went wide.  _ Way to go, Katara! Why don’t you just invite  _ every _ boy you meet into your dorm at the same time and have a slumber party! _

“I mean, if he’s being a jerk or whatever,” she amended quickly.

Zuko cleared his throat. His good cheek had taken on a pink hue. “Uh. Thanks.”

She was saved from any further embarrassment when the elevator doors slid open. Zuko stepped out into the hallway like he couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and Katara took a moment to face-palm herself behind his back before she followed him. Why was she such a dork? 

Zuko led the way down to his dorm room, fishing his keys out of his front pocket as he did. Katara noted that his dorm room number was 303.

As he stuck the key in the lock he looked back over his shoulder at Katara. He made a face. “Consider this a fair warning: it is not pretty in here. Chan is also a slob. Just one more reason I want to move out.”

“He can’t be any worse than my brother,” Katara muttered drily.

“We’ll see about that.”

Zuko opened the door, and Katara was immediately able to tell which side of the room belonged to Zuko, and which side belonged to Chan. 

One side was littered with dirty clothes, empty wrappers, and discarded energy drink cans. Textbooks were spread across the disorganized desk, and the bed was unmade, with the duvet trailing onto the litter-covered floor. 

“Okay, maybe he  _ is  _ worse than my brother,” Katara conceded as she took in the mess. “Classes haven’t even been in session for two weeks. How does someone make this big of a mess?”

“I have no idea.”

Katara took in Zuko’s side of the room. The bed was neatly made and covered in a black duvet. The desktop was almost clear except for a finance textbook that sat on one corner. The shelves were filled with orderly rows of books, and supplies were neatly organized in the cubby. Shoes, mostly sneakers, were lined up at the foot of the bed. The dresser top was clear of everything except for a bottle of cologne. 

She couldn’t help but notice that there was nothing that personalized the space: no family pictures or knick knacks. There wasn’t even a poster on the wall. His room didn’t reveal anything about him at all.

“I stand corrected. This is definitely humbling,” Katara remarked drily. She stepped over to Zuko’s side, where the floor was clean. Under the slight odor emanating from the other side of the room, she could smell Zuko’s cologne. “I can see why you’re strongly debating on moving out.”

Zuko hung his backpack from the back of his desk chair. He turned to her with a grimace. “Yeah. Hence, I’m hardly ever here. Come on.”

Katara followed Zuko back out into the hallway. He locked the door before he headed back toward the elevator.

“Must be nice, not having a roommate,” Zuko remarked as he pushed the button to go down. 

Katara glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but his eyes were trained on the elevator door. “It _ is _ nice. Not that I’ve had a bad experience with roommates. I actually really liked my roommate last year and we became best friends. She’s dating my brother now.”

The elevator door opened and she and Zuko stepped inside. He looked down at her as he pressed the button. “Does that make it awkward for you at all?”

“No.” Katara shrugged her shoulders. “They’re really sweet together.”

Zuko nodded slowly, as if he was digesting that. Then he said, “That’s kinda funny. I dated my sister’s roommate.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That...did not go over well.”

Katara glanced up at him, surprised. That was the most he had revealed about himself to her. Katara took a quiet breath as she considered how to respond to that. 

Before she could, Zuko, sounding a bit embarrassed, said, “Sorry.” As if he had overstepped an unspoken boundary by sharing that.

“No, don’t be sorry.” Katara hesitated, peeking up at him from beneath her lashes. “It’s just that...you don’t talk about yourself very often. I guess it just took me by surprise.” 

“Oh.” She saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “I guess I really don’t talk about personal stuff that much, do I?”

“Yeah, not really.” An awkward tension filled the air and Katara cursed her ineptitude. If she couldn’t get a grip, he would probably never open up to her again. 

The elevator opened and they stepped out into the lobby of the dorm hall. They crossed the room and Zuko held the door open for her, and she offered a quick thanks. They didn’t say anything as they walked out to the parking lot, the awkward silence following them. 

His Challenger was unmistakable in the lot. He unlocked it from a distance before he opened the door for her. Katara sat down, but the leather was hot on her bare thighs, exposed by the denim shorts she was wearing.

“Ouch!” Katara yelped as she arched her hips off the seat. “Hot leather!” She jerked forward until her jean shorts protected her from the hot leather.

“Shoot, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that. Here.” Zuko leaned behind her to reach into the backseat. The smell of his cologne washed over her and for a moment she allowed herself to breathe it in. Then he pulled back, a sweatshirt in his hand. 

“Thanks,” Katara said as she took it from him. Their fingers brushed as she did, and she ignored the chills that went up her arm. She spread the sweatshirt across the seat and lifted herself back onto the seat.

Zuko was watching her with amusement dancing in his eyes. “Better?”

Katara nodded, flushed with embarrassment. She hated leather seats for that exact reason. “Much better. Thanks.”

He shut the door before he jogged around the front of the car. He slid into the driver’s seat, his dark jeans protecting him from the hot leather. She scowled at him. 

Zuko looked over at her, a crooked smirk on his lips. “I’m not gonna lie, that was pretty funny. I’ve never seen you move so fast.”

Katara crossed her arms over her chest, her lip curling into an irritated pout. “That’s because you’ve never seen me in a swimming pool.” He gave her a questioning look, and she felt a blush creep into her cheeks again. “Um, I’m on the swim team.”

“Ah.” The corner of his lips twitched. “The swim team, huh? I’d like to see that sometime.”

A pleasant warmth spread over her. She offered him a small smile, certain her blush was only deepening. But then she wondered if he was just joking, and she had misread it. Her smile fell away, but he wasn’t looking at her to notice. 

He turned the engine over and flicked on the air conditioning. Then he pulled out his phone and connected it to the car’s Bluetooth. 

“Do you like rap?” Zuko asked her.

Katara glanced over at him.  _ He’s full of surprises today _ . “Rap? I mean, I don’t really listen to it. My brother does. But I don’t mind it.”

“Okay. Well, you seemed to like AWOLNation. I know that’s not rap, but they kind of have the same style, instrumental-wise.” He shrugged, almost sheepish.

“Let’s hear it, then,” Katara said with a smile. 

Zuko hit “play”. An electronic beat with an undertone of guitar notes started to fill the car. It definitely sounded like something Sokka would listen to. Katara bobbed her head to the music.

Zuko shifted the car into reverse. As he went to back out of the spot, he turned in his seat, bracing one hand against the back of her headrest. Katara could smell his cologne again. She liked the way it smelled and she found herself drinking it in. She peeked over at him, her eyes traveling the length of his muscled arm, and settled on the round knot of his Adam’s apple. She briefly wondered if the bamboo-and-woodsmoke scent of his cologne would be there too, but she quickly pushed that thought from her mind.

Then Zuko was straight in his seat again, and they were pulling out of the parking lot and heading into the city. 

They didn’t talk while Zuko drove. The thrum of the bass filled the car and vibrated in Katara’s seat. She could tell he had put in custom speakers from the way the bass was concentrated in the backseat. The fingers of her right hand rubbed at the soft material of the sweater underneath her as she watched Ba Sing Se go by. She focused on the rap music, to the words:  _ And I could go all night. I’m sick of being nothing. Alright, I’m gonna be something. I’ll fight with every breath. Trust me.  _ She decided that she liked this too. 

“Who is this?” Katara asked as they drove past the road that would take them to the Jasmine Dragon. She wondered where they were going, but she wasn’t sure Zuko had a destination in mind. He had just said he  _ wanted to go for a drive _ . 

“NEFFEX,” Zuko answered. “They’re still kind of underground, but they’re gaining some traction. Do you like it?” He glanced over at her, and Katara saw worry flash briefly over his face. “I can change it, if you don’t.”

“No, I like it.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “In fact, I’ll probably have to introduce them to my brother, if he doesn’t already listen to them.” She looked at the screen on the dashboard. “‘Dangerous’, hm? I’m definitely sending him the link.”

She looked back at Zuko just in time to see a pleased smile dance across his face. His thumbs drummed against the steering wheel, and Katara couldn’t help but smile.

Zuko drove further into the Lower Tier. Katara stole glances at him whenever she thought he wouldn’t catch her.  _ He  _ is  _ attractive,  _ she told herself reluctantly as she studied him. He exuded a quiet sort of confidence that she found she liked. She liked the way he held himself, with one wrist draped over the top of the steering column while the fingers of his left hand gripped the bottom of the wheel. He was leaned back in his seat, legs splayed comfortably, one sneakered foot on the gas pedal. And his face...well, that was appealing too, with his strong jawline, high cheekbones, and sharp nose. 

Her dream flashed through her mind and Katara crossed her legs as she forced the images from her brain.  _ We do not need to think about that right now. Nope. Nope nope nope.  _

For a moment she hated Suki for even suggesting she give Zuko a chance. But Katara couldn’t hold it against her, because  _ she _ had wanted to get to know him too. He was an enigma, a puzzle she wanted to solve. She wanted to figure him out. She wanted to know why he was so closed-off, how he had gotten his scar. She didn’t plan on falling for him or anything like that. But since they  _ were _ going to be around each other for the foreseeable future, with their shared class and their job, Katara thought there was no harm in trying to figure him out. 

“Hm?” She realized he had said something she didn’t hear. 

“I asked if you’d been to the top of the wall yet.”

Katara looked out of the windshield and realized they were driving toward the inner wall that surrounded the city and separated it from the rolling farmlands between the inner and outer walls. 

“Oh.” Katara leaned forward in her seat and peered up at the wall. It was high enough to block out the early afternoon sun. “No, I haven’t.”

“Want to?”

Katara looked over at him. There was a small, excited smile on his face. 

She grinned back at him. The wall was the biggest tourist attraction in the city. She had been wanting to go since she got to Ba Sing Se, but she had never had the time. “Definitely.”


	9. Chapter 9: Up in the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko tells Katara why he didn't want to do that topic for their project, and she puts together another piece of the puzzle that is Zuko.

_ I’ve been up in the air, out of my head. _

_ Stuck in a moment of emotion I’ve destroyed. _

_ Is this the end I feel? _

_ Up in the air, f***** up our life. _

_ All of the laws I’ve broken, loves that I’ve sacrificed. _

_ Is this the end? _

**_“Up in the Air” by 30 Seconds to Mars_ **

* * *

  
  


Zuko parked the Challenger in the parking lot at the base of the wall and killed the engine, letting his hands fall into his lap.

The lot was about half-full. There was a visitors’ center that offered information on the history of the wall and Ba Sing Se. A long line stretched out from the food court, and crowds milled around the gift shop. Plenty of people were taking pictures of the wall, or stood in the line for the lift that would take them to the top.

“I haven’t been this close to the wall since my brother dropped me off,” Katara said. She peered over at Zuko. “Do you come here a lot?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming almost embarrassed. “I do. But it’s better at night.”

“I can imagine,” Katara murmured, and she could. She could picture Ba Sing Se’s skyline, with all of the buildings glittering like stars under the moonlight, like a night sky in reverse. 

Wordlessly, Zuko opened his door and got out of the car. He came around the hood to open her door. She grabbed her backpack, reluctant to leave it on the floorboard with her laptop inside of it.

“I can put that in the trunk for you, if you want,” Zuko offered as he opened her door.

Katara smiled at him gratefully. “Sure. Thanks.”

He took the bag from her and walked toward the end of the car. Katara followed him. He opened the trunk and carefully set her bag inside. Katara saw a gym bag tucked into one corner.

When he saw her looking at it, he shrugged. “I do MMA,” Zuko explained. 

“Me too.” She smirked at him. “Well, not as much as I used to. I don’t really have the time.”

He appraised her, as if he just noticed her toned arms and muscled legs. “I think you mentioned that before.” He offered her a wolfish smirk. “We should spar some time.”

His offer sent her heart fluttering and she felt flustered. “That’s not really fair. You’re actively training, and it’s been a while for me. I’m definitely out of practice.”

He chuckled. “I’d go easy on you.”

Without any warning, Zuko half-heartedly swung the back of his hand toward her face. Katara reflexively brought her arm up and deflected the light blow. She looked at Zuko with wide eyes, utterly shocked.

“What the hell?” she managed to say.

Zuko was all smiles. “Nice. Maybe you’re not as out of practice as you think.”

Katara narrowed her eyes at him, but it faltered as a half-smirk pulled at her lips. She gave herself a pat on the back for her reflexes. “Maybe.”

Zuko shut the trunk and they started for the wall. There was quite a line for the lift, but it was too hot to climb the long flight of stairs so they joined the throng of people waiting. They stood for a few moments without saying anything. Katara was looking up at the wall, trying to comprehend its sheer magnitude. It reminded her of how small she was.

She also couldn’t stop herself from side-eyeing Zuko, wondering if he was going to take any more mock-hits at her.

It did not escape Zuko’s notice. He chuckled. “Don’t worry, Katara. I won’t swing at you again... _ yet _ .” He looked down at her with a sly grin.

“Gee, thanks…” Katara arched her brow at him, half-playful and half-teasing. “You know, if you actually hit me it’s totally going down, right?”

“That’s fine with me. I’m always up for a challenge. Besides, I’m pretty sure that if you ended up fighting me, it would be because I deserved it.” He met her playful stare with one of his own before he looked ahead again, sobering. “So, who was that guy you were with yesterday? Is he a friend?”

“Aww, is that a hint of jealousy I detect, Zuko?” Katara teased, looking up at him.

Color flushed in his cheeks. “Nope. Just making conversation.” There was a brief pause before he looked back down at her, his playful smile that made her butterflies go wild on his lips. “Why? Did you  _ want _ me to be jealous?”

She stared at him dumbly for a moment, wanting to look away but finding herself unable to. After what felt like a beat too long of staring at him, she finally managed to play it off by smirking back at him and ignoring his last comment.

“I actually met him at that mixer you spilled my drink on me at.” She knew she was taking a risk ruining the pleasant atmosphere, but she wanted to gauge his reaction. His response would be another piece to the puzzle that was Zuko.

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Are you ever going to let that go?” There was no irritation in his voice. In fact, he sounded amused himself. “Besides, don’t forget that  _ you _ also threw your drink on  _ me _ . At least I did it by accident.”

“I only did it because you deserved it,” Katara retorted lightly. 

“Yeah, yeah. I was being a jerk, I’ll admit it.” He smirked down at her. 

“Yes, you were,” Katara told him. “And yes, Aang is a friend. We met up to do homework yesterday.”

“Ah. He looked a little…” Zuko trailed off, as if searching for the right word. He settled on one he found adequate. “Young.”

“Well, he’s in his first year of college. He’s like, eighteen,” Katara answered. What was this, twenty questions? But she would answer them, just to keep him talking, in an effort to figure him out.

He peered down at her. “You’re what, second year? So that makes you nineteen?”

“Yeah.” She looked up at him, suddenly realizing she had no idea how old Zuko was. “You?”

“Fourth year, technically,” Zuko replied. “But I’ll probably end up doing my MBA.”

So that made him twenty-one or twenty-two, give or take. “In business information systems.”

“Yeah.”

Katara wanted to ask more questions, but she decided she should wait. He had started to open up to her, just a little bit, and she didn’t want to scare him off by prying too much. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he didn’t like personal questions.

Finally they reached the lift. Zuko paid for their tickets—Katara’s protests fell on deaf ears—and a few moments later they were packed into the open-cage of the lift with a dozen other people. There was hardly any room to breathe. Katara found herself standing behind a man who smelled like a grotesque combination of bananas and onions, and she stepped back, wrinkling her nose against the offending odor.

She stepped right back into Zuko. His hand came up and caught her by the waist, but he withdrew almost immediately.

“Sorry,” Katara muttered as she quickly stepped forward again, blushing furiously.

“It’s okay.” 

To her surprise he grabbed her arm and tugged her back beside him. There wasn’t a lot of room, and she found herself pressed snugly beside him, shoulders and hips touching. She peeked at him from under her lashes, but his eyes were trained on something in the distance. Katara tried to breathe normally and ignore the hammering of her heart. 

After ten torturous, glorious minutes of being pressed against him and making small talk about the sights, the lift finally made it to the top of the wall and the other passengers disembarked. Katara let out a quiet breath as she and Zuko stepped out onto the wall, but she was almost immediately breathless once again.

Before them, Ba Sing Se spread out like a sprawling map. Far below she could see the small shapes of people and cars moving through the streets. The roads and avenues were criss-crossed lines cutting through the city. The buildings rose up, tall and imposing, but from where she stood they looked like a child’s toy blocks rather than an impressive city. Somewhere near the center of it all she could even see the gilded green roofs of the university.

“Oh my spirits,” Katara exhaled. Before she could stop herself, she threaded her arm through Zuko’s, dragging him with her to the parapet. A wide grin split her face. “This view is  _ amazing. _ ” 

She looked up at him, a little embarrassed at her boldness and unsure of what to expect from him. His arm was tense in hers, but there was a small smile on his mouth. Katara let him go but smiled back at him. 

“I’m glad you like it,” Zuko said, his voice huskier than usual. “But if you think this is impressive, you should turn around.”

She did. 

Zuko was right. The view behind them was somehow even more spectacular. Down below, rolling green hills and farmland stretched away from the inner wall until it reached the outer wall, so far away it was merely a sand-colored line on the horizon. There were patches of trees dotting the pastures, and she could see the large open-range zoo down below that she and Sokka had passed on the main road into town. Far off to the left she saw something shimmering. 

“What’s that?” Katara asked as she pointed to it.

Zuko followed her finger. “That’s Lake Laogai. It’s a popular tourist destination.” He shrugged. “Lots of rich people have big houses on the lake.”

“Have you been there before?”

“Yeah, I have.”

Katara pursed her lips. “Is it pretty?”

“I guess so.” Zuko shrugged again. 

Katara squinted her eyes, trying to see it clearer. But it was too far away.

“Come on,” Zuko said as he started along the top of the wall.

“Where are we going?”

“Away from the crowds.”

Katara raised a brow at him. She wasn’t sure if he simply wanted to get away from the crowds or if he wanted her alone. It took all of her willpower not to focus on the latter. Either way, she followed him as he led her away from the lift. 

The crowd thinned out the further they went and Katara thought he would stop soon, but he pressed on. The sun was hot overhead and she could feel the sweat trickling down her back. If the heat was getting to him, Zuko didn’t show it. But, being from the Fire Nation, it probably didn’t.

After they had walked for twenty minutes without seeing another person, Zuko finally stopped at a bench and sat down. Katara dropped onto it gratefully. Her skin was hot and flushed, and she was not looking forward to the walk back to the lift. At least there was a cool breeze up here.

She hoped he was finally going to tell her why he’d been so adamantly against doing their report on Sozin’s Corp. Katara was burning with curiosity, but she was going to let him bring it up on his own time. 

“It really is beautiful up here,” Katara told him. She looked over at him with a smile. “I can just imagine what it would look like at night.”

“It’s great,” Zuko said. “It’s really peaceful. It’s a good place to come and clear your head.”

Her lips twitched. “And to get away from jerky roommates, right?”

He snorted. “Right. That too.” Zuko was quiet for a few minutes. Then he spoke. “So...about your topic idea. About Sozin’s Corp.” 

“Yeah?” Katara prompted gently when he didn’t say more for a moment.

He cleared his throat. His gaze was focused on the city below them. Katara waited patiently. “I didn’t want to do the report on it because…” He let out a long sigh. “...that’s my family’s company.”

Katara gaped at him. “ _ What?  _ Are you serious?” 

That was  _ not _ what she had been expecting him to say. Well, she wasn’t exactly sure  _ what _ she expected him to say, but that definitely would  _ never _ have occurred to her.

Zuko nodded slowly, his eyes now concentrated out over the city. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, tenting his fingers together. He didn’t say anything else.

“Wow. I...had no idea.” Katara swallowed hard. She felt embarrassed.  _ No wonder he was so against it...and I really flipped out on him about it.  _ She cringed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. How could you know?” He turned his face toward her fractionally, just enough so that she could see the humorless smile on his lips. “I don’t...I’m not affiliated with the company at all. That’s a whole other story.” He reached up, perhaps subconsciously, and brushed the tips of his fingers over the edge of his scar. Katara traced the movement with her eyes. She had never seen him acknowledge the scar before. He let out a breath. “But yeah. That’s why I wanted a different topic.”

“I’m sorry. It’s understandable.” Katara mumbled. She rolled her eyes, frustrated at herself. “Spirits, I-I don’t even know what to say.” She peeked over at him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you about it. I just thought it would make a good topic.”

Zuko sighed. “It’s okay, Katara. Really. I’m sure someone else in class will cover it.” He huffed out a laugh. “I guess it’s a good thing no one knows it’s my family’s company. I’ve definitely kept that to myself. I uh...would appreciate it if you did, too.”

“Yeah, of course.” She hesitated, chewing her bottom lip between her teeth. Katara watched him closely. She held her breath as she reached out and touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Zuko’s head snapped to look at her, eyes wide with surprise. He swallowed. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine.” Color had risen in his cheeks. “I’m good.” 

He stood up suddenly and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and took a few tentative steps forward, like he didn’t know where he was going. He rocked on the balls of his feet. 

“Are you hungry?” He smiled sheepishly as he turned back to face her. “I guess I should have asked you that before I dragged you up here.”

“You didn’t drag me up here. I came willingly enough.” Katara cracked a grin as she got to her feet. He smirked back at her. “And yeah, I could eat.”

His smile widened. “How do you feel about bacon cheeseburgers and milkshakes?”


	10. Chapter 10: Little Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara's day with Zuko keeps getting more interesting.
> 
> Later, she hangs out with some girls from her dorm and meets up with Aang and his friends, and contemplates whether or not Zuko is actually a Nice Guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What with the holiday this week, my beta and I were expecting to only get 1 chapter to you guys this week. But we managed to be over-achievers and complete TWO chapters! Whoo hoo!

_ Some days I don’t know if I’m wrong or right. _

_ Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear. _

_ ‘Cause though the truth may vary, _

_ This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore. _

**_“Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men_ **

* * *

Zuko pulled into the parking lot of a retro diner sometime later. He whipped the Challenger into an empty spot in the half-full lot and killed the engine. Per usual, he came around and opened Katara’s door for her. She could feel the ghost of his hand hovering above her back as they walked up to the diner, and she couldn’t ignore the butterflies that fluttered against the walls of her stomach at the gesture. Once again, Zuko held the door for her and she thanked him as she stepped inside.

Katara immediately fell in love with the place. Inside smelled like grease and French fries. The floors were black-and-white checkers, the tabletops shone like chrome, and the booths and chairs were teal-colored faux leather. Oldies music, like what her grandmother listened to, played from the speakers and the waitresses wore poodle skirts. 

Zuko led the way down the aisle between the booths that lined one wall and the bar counter by the kitchen and stood beside a booth in the back corner, gesturing for Katara to sit. She did, and then he sat down across from her. He leaned forward on his crossed forearms, a satisfied smirk playing at his lips. 

“This place is seriously so cool,” Katara said. She eyed the jukebox in the corner. “It’s like going back in time. How did you even find this place?”

“I’ve done my fair share of exploring the city,” Zuko replied coolly. He gestured in the air with one hand. “There’s a lot of neat places here.”

“Mm. I can imagine.”

His omission about his father’s company meant something. He was, for whatever reason, beginning to trust her. Katara got the feeling Zuko didn’t trust a lot of people. She didn’t want to mess that up. 

She mimicked his position and crossed her arms on the table, leaning closer to him. “How long have you lived in Ba Sing Se?” Katara asked, trying to keep her tone neutral. 

Zuko didn’t answer for a moment, his expression darkening. Katara wondered if he was going to answer at all. But then he lifted one shoulder in a shrug as he gazed out of the window. “About eight years, give or take.”

Katara was burning with curiosity. She felt like he knew so much about her, but she didn’t feel like she really knew him at all. He had been rather forthcoming so far—or as forthcoming as he seemed he could be—and she thought that was a good sign. But Katara wasn’t going to push him. She could be patient.

But she thought one more question couldn’t hurt. “And you’ve lived with Iroh all that time?”

Before he could answer, a waitress came up to their table with two glasses of ice water in her hands and two menus tucked beneath her arm. She smiled down at Zuko like they were old friends.

“Well, hello, stranger,” she greeted him. “Long time, no see.”

Zuko gave her a crooked smile. “Sorry. I’ve been a bit busy.” 

The waitress’s eyes flashed to Katara and she could practically hear her thoughts:  _ does this girl have anything to do with that? _

“Would you like your usual, then?”

“Yes, please.” He smiled at her, a true smile that showed his straight, white teeth. Color rose in the waitress’s cheeks. Zuko glanced back at Katara, the smile still on his lips. Her heart stuttered painfully in her chest, and she wondered briefly if he knew what kind of effect he had with that smile. “I’m telling you, the bacon cheeseburger is the best. But their milkshakes are even better.”

Katara turned to the waitress. “I’ll take his word for it. Bacon cheeseburger and fries, please. And a chocolate malt shake.” 

“You’ve got it.”

The waitress walked away without even bothering to jot down their order. When Katara looked back at Zuko, he was still smirking amusedly at her. This time, her heart stopped entirely.

“What?” Katara asked. She couldn’t stop the nervous giggle that left her, and she quickly took a drink of her water.

“I always get a chocolate malt, too.”

Katara met his golden gaze over the lip of her cup. “Seriously?”

He nodded.

For some reason, her cheeks warmed. Then she cracked a smile. “Hm, so we actually have something in common.”

“Well, it seems we also have similar tastes in music, so that actually makes  _ two _ things we have in common.”

Katara let out a chuckle, and he smirked lopsidedly at her. Spirits, he had such a nice smile. Her heart continued to do funny things as her blush deepend. When she felt like she had her expression under control, she looked back up at him and repeated her question.

“So, have you lived with your uncle the whole time you’ve lived in the city?” The corners of her lips tugged up. “Well, until you moved into the dorms, at least.”

Katara mostly expected him to deflect that question. It was more personal, she suspected, than asking how long he’d lived there. But to her surprise, he gave a half-answer.

“For the most part,” Zuko said slowly. He twirled his water glass with the tips of his fingers, watching the ice clink against the edges. His eyes flickered to hers before he dropped them again. “It’s complicated.”

“I can understand that.” And really, she did. Her reasons for transferring universities were complicated. 

“My turn to ask a question.”

Katara looked up at him and spread her hands. “Ask away. I’m an open book.” She smiled at him.

“I know you are.” Zuko smirked crookedly at her. He didn’t take his eyes off of her as his face became serious again. “Why did you transfer from GU? It’s just as good of a school as BSSU. Their poli-sci program is just as good.”

She tensed up. “Um.”

Katara didn’t want to answer the question. How could she explain to him that she had transferred schools because she got mixed up with a bad boy who shattered her heart and fundamentally changed who she was as a person? That wasn’t something she would tell someone she barely knew. She barely even talked to her friends about it. 

Instead, she picked up her water and slowly brought it to her mouth, drinking deeply from it as she considered how to answer the question. Then she set it back down on the table and took a deep breath.

“It’s complicated,” she said at last.

Humor danced in his eyes. “I can understand that.”

The waitress came back bearing a tray loaded with two chocolate milkshakes topped with cherries and whip cream and two baskets with burgers and piled high with fries.

“Here you are,” she said cheerily as she set them down. She beamed another smile at Zuko before she left. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“We will, thanks.”

Katara surveyed her food. It looked even better than it smelled. She grabbed the ketchup and squirted some on the paper beside her fries. Then she pulled off the top bun and took off the pickles, discarding them in a pile in the corner of her basket.

“You don’t like pickles?”

Katara made a face and shook her head. “No. I think they’re gross.”

“Well,  _ I  _ think they’re delicious.” Long, pale fingers snaked over her basket, plucking up the discarded pickles. Katara watched as Zuko popped one in his mouth and chewed it with a satisfied smirk. He winked at her—and  _ oh my spirits  _ did her stomach drop—as he said, “The perfect friendships exist between someone who doesn’t like pickles and someone who does.”

Katara laughed. Her heart was still keening from his wink and the sound was a little high-pitched and nervous. She inwardly face-palmed herself.  _ Get a grip, Katara!  _ She looked at him from under her lashes. 

“That... _ has  _ to be the  _ worst _ line that I have ever heard.” Zuko chuckled and Katara peeked at him from beneath her eyelashes. “So...does that mean we’re friends?”

Zuko popped another one of her pickles into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully as he considered that. The corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Mm, I think we’re getting there.”

That was more than she could have hoped for. Katara definitely wasn’t going to complain.

* * *

Katara collapsed on her bed a few hours later, her mind still reeling from the unexpected events of the day. What had begun as a study meet-up (she refused to use the word “date” while referencing  _ anything _ involving Zuko) had turned into quite an adventure.

The rest of lunch had gone well. The conversation had remained light, and they had made plans to meet at the library Tuesday morning before Comm class to continue to work on their project. They both conveniently had no morning classes on Tuesdays, so it was the perfect opportunity to wrap it up.

He had dropped her off back at her dorm at nearly four o’clock, flashing her a quick smile and an “I’ll pick you up at 5:30 tomorrow” before he loped back to his car. Her head was basically in the clouds and she barely heard one of the girls who shared her dorm hall call her name and invite her to play Cards Against Humanity. Katara took the girl, Yue, up on that offer. 

She had mostly kept to herself since classes had begun, primarily because her schedule was so full. Between courses and work, Katara barely had any downtime. She knew Yue and Keiko from the swim team, with whom she also shared her dorm hall. Both of them hailed from the Northern Water Tribe and Katara liked them well enough. She had classes with some of the other girls that were playing as well, and she had so much fun playing the game that she didn’t even realize that the evening was creeping up on her.

After that, Katara, Yue, and Keiko had walked over to one of the cafes on campus to get ramen for dinner (though she was still pretty full from her late lunch with Zuko) and ran into Aang and his friends, Kuzon and Bumi. Aang spotted Katara and immediately invited the girls to join them. Kuzon and Bumi, who hailed from the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, respectively, were both fun-loving and kooky, and had the girls laughing so hard they were trying not to snort noodles from their noses. 

Once they had eaten, the girls had invited them over to play more cards with them. Yue and Keiko were roommates, so once the boys had been checked in, they went to their room to continue playing.

Katara had played until she yawned so hard her jaw cracked. When she had checked the time, she was surprised to see it was after 11 pm. She stood up and stretched, feeling her back pop in all of the right places.

“I better get to bed,” she had said, a bit regretfully. “I had a lot of fun playing, though. We’ll have to do it again sometime.” She smiled at Kuzon and Bumi. “It was nice meeting you guys.”

Aang had gotten to his feet. “I’ll walk you back to your room.”

“It’s like, three doors down,” Katara had chuckled.

But Aang had just shrugged, a small smile on his lips. “I don’t mind.”

_ That’s because you’re a Nice Guy _ , Katara had thought as they left Yue and Keiko’s room. She wondered if Zuko would have done that if it had been him in Aang’s place, and given how many times he had opened doors for her, she decided he probably would have.  _ Does that make Zuko a Nice Guy, too? _

Aang walked her to her door. Katara unlocked it and stepped inside, turning on the light. She turned toward Aang to bid him a good night.

“It was really nice studying with you yesterday,” Aang said, a shy smile playing across his lips. “Maybe we could do it again sometime.”

She smiled back at him. “I’d like that, Aang. I’ll see you later.”

“Later, Katara.”

Now that she was alone, she took out her phone, which she had ignored all day. There were a few texts from Suki, one complaining about her brother and his dirty gym socks that apparently stunk up his entire dorm room, and another asking why she was AWOL all day. Katara quickly texted her back.

K> _ Sorry, I was out for most of the day. Call me? _

S> _ Your brother is over here studying. Call me tomorrow? Or just text me?  _

Katara hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She wanted to tell Suki everything about today. But she didn’t know if she wanted to do that over text. 

K> _ I’ll call you tomorrow, but here’s the tea: I met up with Zuko to do our project. He remembered my fav tea and bought me some. Then after he took me up to the Inner Wall and out to lunch.  _

S> _ Are you for real?!?! How was it? So I was right about him?! _

Katara smiled down at the phone screen, shaking her head a bit. 

K> _ It was….nice _

K> _ I’m going to bed. I’ve got an early class. I’ll fill you in tomorrow. _

S> _ Ok, but tomorrow I want allllll the details. ;) Love you! _

Katara rolled over onto her stomach and reached for her headphones, which were in a tangled heap on the floor. She had some new music to check out. 

On the way home Zuko had introduced her to a band called Set It Off. They were a rock band that reminded her somewhat of AWOLNation. Before she did that though, she sent a YouTube link of NEFFEX to her brother. 

She plugged in her headphones and pulled up Set It Off’s album,  _ Duality.  _ Zuko said she would probably like that album best, and if the first song was any indication, she thought he was probably right.

Her thoughts drifted back to Zuko as she listened to the music. She mulled over his admissions about his family’s company, and how he had been living with Iroh since he was only about thirteen or fourteen. What made a kid leave his parents like that? And for that matter, what kind of parents just allowed their teenager to up and leave?

Curiosity got the better of her. She opened her Instagram app—which she used to mostly post pictures of food or stuff from her swim meets—and searched for Zuko. She assumed Sozin was his last name, but she didn’t find anything. Even when she deleted Sozin, she couldn’t find him. 

_ Maybe he doesn’t have Instagram, _ she thought, as she opened her seldom-used Facebook app. But searching for him there yielded no results either. As a last-ditch effort she looked on Snapchat. But apparently, Zuko didn’t use social media at all. 

The nosy side of her let out a disappointed sigh. She had wanted to see if she could take a sneak peek into his life, and what better way to do that than by stalking his social media?  _ It would be easier if he  _ had _ social media _ , she thought dryly _. _ Of course, it was possible that he had his profiles locked down so she couldn’t find them, or maybe she didn’t have the right last name. And it was likely that whatever had happened between him and his family (and Katara was sure something  _ had  _ happened, even if she didn’t know what) had caused him to go off the grid. There was a reason he had moved in with Iroh when he was a teenager. She wanted to know what.

Suddenly, and without really thinking it through, she backed out of Snapchat and clicked on her search engine. She had his name all typed out and was ready to hit “search” when she hesitated. It felt wrong to search for him like that, not knowing what might come up. If anything did, it would likely be things he didn’t want her to know about, or at least didn’t want her to know about _ yet _ . And besides, what could the tabloids tell her that Zuko couldn’t tell her better himself?

Katara closed her Google app and set her phone aside.  _ No more being nosy, _ Katara thought as she grabbed  _ Pride and Prejudice.  _ She would just listen to Set It Off while she read before she went to sleep. She opened to her page and slipped back into Lizzie’s world like she was putting on a favorite cardigan.

Her phone buzzed after about ten minutes, but she ignored it, assuming it was Sokka replying to the song she had sent him.

Twenty minutes later she shut the book as she yawned. She pulled out her headphones and checked her phone. To her surprise, the text wasn’t from her brother at all. It was from Zuko. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

It was a simple text, just three words, but they made joy bubble up in her throat. Katara smiled down at her phone like a lovestruck fool. 

Z> _ Thanks for today _

She was about to text him back, hoping he was still awake since he had texted her twenty minutes ago, when her phone vibrated with another text from him.

Z> _ Goodnight _

Katara’s heart skipped a beat and she hurried to reply.

K> _ Thanks for eating my pickles.  _

A few seconds passed, and then she got another text.

Z> _ Thanks for letting me eat them.  _

Her heart pulled painfully in her chest. She wondered what he was doing. Was he on his bed in his dorm room like she was, getting ready to call it a night? Katara wondered idly what he wore to bed. A t-shirt and pajama bottoms? Sweatpants and no shirt? Just boxers? The possibilities were endless. 

Then it hit her. Hit her like a  _ rock _ . The butterflies...the bubbly feelings...the twinging of her heart every time she thought of, saw or (apparently) even got  _ just a text _ from Zuko...she was totally falling for him. 

Her phone buzzed again.

Z> _ Don’t you have class in the morning? _

K> _ Yes. Gotta get up at 6:30. Ughhh :( _

Z> _ Go to bed _

K> _ Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I left you in charge of my sleep schedule. And how do you know that I’m not in bed already? _

Z> _ Then quit texting me and go to sleep. _

K> _ I’m working on it. falling asleep rn. Goodnight. _

Z> _ Goodnight _

Katara laid her phone on her chest and stared up at the ceiling, all traces of sleepiness fading away. She listened to the pounding staccato of her heart in her chest, her mind still reeling. 

She couldn’t believe that she only just now came to the startling, albeit not totally abhorrent, realization that she might have a teeny, tiny crush on Zuko.

Just a tiny one.


	11. Chapter 11: We Don't Have to Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko's friend, Rhett, shows up at the Jasmine Dragon unexpectedly and convinces them to go out to the club with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter I introduce an Original Character (one of the only original characters in the entire story). My beta and I were talking about how ridiculous it is that in the show, Azula gets Mai AND Ty Lee for friends, but Zuko doesn't have ANY. So, I decided to create one for him. Let me introduce to you Rhett. Let me know what you guys think of him in the comments!

_ We don’t have to smile. _

_ We don’t have to make friends. _

_ It’s so nice to meet you; let’s never meet again. _

_ We don’t have to talk. _

_ We don’t have to dance. _

**_“We Don’t Have to Dance” by Andy Black_ **

* * *

The bell above the door chimed, and Katara looked up from where she was counting the till at the register. Her eyes fell on a guy around her age with shaggy black hair and bright green eyes. 

He took her in with an appreciative look as he loped easily across the room before he flashed her a good-natured grin. “How’s it going?”

Katara’s eyes flickered to the clock above the door. They were closing in five minutes. Zuko was in the office working on the schedule for Iroh. The shop had been dead for the last hour, and while Katara wouldn’t have minded closing up early, Zuko insisted that they had to stay open no matter what.

“Boss’s rules,” he’d said, and Katara couldn’t go against Iroh.

Katara looked back at the young man and put on her friendly customer-service smile. “We’re just about to close, but we should be able to make you a tea of your choice. What can I get for you?”

Katara watched his eyes comb over her again. “You’re new, aren’t you?”

“Uh, pretty new.” Katara studied the young man for a moment. “You must be a regular, I’m assuming.”

“Something like that.” His grin widened as he stuck his hand out to her. “I’m Rhett, by the way.”

Katara looked down at his hand for a moment before she took it. She had gotten accustomed to the stream of regulars who came in during her and Zuko’s shift over the last few weeks, but this guy was the first to shake her hand. 

“I’m Katara,” she said. 

“That’s a pretty name,” Rhett purred at her, his hand still wrapped around hers. “It means...water droplet, right? In the Water Tribes?”

Katara had to admit it; she was impressed. “Um...yeah. Wow. How did you know that?”

Rhett let go of her hand and shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m well versed in various cultures.” He leaned on the counter with his forearms, further closing the distance between them. His eyes seemed to sparkle. “So, are you doing anything after you get off of work?”

A blush rose in her cheeks and Katara dropped his gaze. This regular was pretty cute, but there was no way she was going out with some guy she didn’t even know. And Katara didn’t even want to  _ think _ about telling Zuko why she didn’t need a ride home.

“Um—”

Rhett’s eyes flickered behind her as she heard the door to the kitchen open up. 

“I got everything taken care of back there, so if you’re done up here we can lock up and head out—”

Katara looked over her shoulder at Zuko. He had stopped short when he saw Rhett. His eyes darted between the two of them and for a moment, no one said anything. 

Then Rhett cracked a grin as he straightened up. “Hey, Zuko. How’s it going?”

“Just fine, Rhett. What are you doing here?” Zuko came to stand next to Katara at the register, his brow creasing. He was close enough that she could smell his cologne and feel the heat of his body, and his stance was almost...protective? Katara didn’t quite know what to make of it.

“I was just coming by to see if you wanted to head to the bar with me. It’s been a while since we’ve done that, ya know?” Rhett smirked. 

Katara looked between the two of them as her mouth dropped open in surprise. They  _ knew _ each other? And well, apparently. Katara was shocked. Zuko had never mentioned him before. 

“Can’t tonight. I’ve got to take Katara home.”

“Oh, is that so?” Rhett arched his brow at Katara. “Why don’t you just tag along with us instead, Katara? C’mon, it’ll be fun.” His teeth flashed in a grin. “Have you ever been out drinking with Zuko? Believe it or not, the guy actually knows how to have a good time.”

Katara appraised Zuko, who suddenly looked quite uncomfortable as he rocked on the balls of his feet. 

“I’m sure Katara would like to get home. It’s been a long day,” Zuko gritted out. 

Rhett turned to Katara and winked at her. “You look like a reasonable girl. Tell Zuko to quit using you as an excuse and let’s get the hell out of here. I love the guy, but sometimes he can be such a buzzkill, ya know? Besides, who doesn’t like to have some fun after work? What do you say?”

Katara snorted before she looked between the two of them. She didn’t like being the swing vote, but if she was being honest with herself, she wouldn’t mind seeing more of the interesting dynamic between Zuko and Rhett. And it  _ was _ Friday night, she and Zuko had made it through their speech for Comm yesterday,  _ and _ she hadn’t had much of an opportunity to have fun since she got to Ba Sing Se. Really, there was no reason why she shouldn’t.

Katara looked up at Zuko. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression, and it was impossible to tell what Zuko really wanted to do. 

“I mean, I wouldn’t mind going out,” Katara said at last.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Rhett grinned at both of them. Then he pointed at Zuko. “We gotta take your car though, man. I took the train.”

Zuko growled in the back of his throat. He scowled down at Katara for a moment before he went around the counter and cut across the room, and Katara briefly wondered if she had made a mistake. He turned the sign to  _ closed _ and locked the door before he came back over to them.

Katara finished her task and looked up at Zuko.

“Let’s go,” he huffed out as he took the bag of money to put it in the safe.

“I was thinking we could hit the White Lotus. It’s been a while since we’ve been there.” Rhett hopped over the counter and winked at Katara again. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest as she smiled. As if being seriously cute wasn’t bad enough, Rhett had an attractive smile. It was almost as attractive as Zuko’s... _ almost. _ “What do you say, Zuko?”

Zuko ducked into the kitchen on his way to the office, calling over his shoulder, “It’s whatever, dude.”

“Well, okay then.” Rhett slipped past Katara, flashing her another grin. “He’ll loosen up in a bit. I promise.”

“Has he always been so uptight?” Katara joked.

“You have  _ no _ idea.”

Katara followed Rhett into the kitchen. Zuko came out from the office, his mouth set in a thin line. Rhett went over to him, still grinning cheekily.

“Just let me grab my purse from the break room,” Katara said as she pointed down the narrow hallway. 

She ducked into the breakroom and shrugged into her sweater before she grabbed her purse. Katara went back down the hallway toward the kitchen. She could hear the two of them talking, and even though she didn’t like to eavesdrop, she couldn’t help but pick up on a few snippets.

“..dude, she’s hot. You tryna hit it?”

“For the love of Agni, Rhett. Is that  _ all _ you think about?”

“Well, yeah. Is there anything wrong with that? Look man, it’s not my fault you can’t get laid. At least I’m asking before you make a move. You should be thanking me.”

“Get a friggin’ life, Rhett—”

“I mean, what else do you expect me to think? You have this  _ gorgeous _ girl here with you probably all the time. And what are you trying to do? Not sleep with her, that’s for sure.”

Katara decided she had heard enough. Was that really how guys talked about girls when they weren’t around? She popped out of the hallway and pasted a fake bright smile on her face.

“Are we ready to go?” she asked. 

The two of them exchanged a look before Zuko’s eyes fell on her. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”

They left the Jasmine Dragon, with Zuko locking up behind them. Rhett loped easily toward the Challenger, but Katara lingered back by Zuko.

“We don’t  _ have _ to go if you don’t want to,” Katara murmured to him. “Or if you don’t want me to go, you can just take me home. I don’t mind.”

“No, it’s not like that, Katara. It’s just—” Zuko rubbed the back of his neck as they started for the car, which Rhett was now leaning against. “Rhett can get a little wild when he drinks. I’ll probably end up babysitting him.”

Katara snorted out a laugh. “How long have you guys been friends?”

“Since like, freshman or sophomore year. It’s been a while.” Zuko pressed the button on the key fob and the Challenger unlocked. 

“I call shotgun!” Rhett whooped as he opened the door. 

“You’ll have to fight me for it,” Katara quipped back. 

Rhett gave her his cheeky grin as he leaned in and pulled the seat forward. “I’m just teasing. Of course the lady can sit up front.” He climbed into the back and slid her seat back into place as he gestured toward it. “There you are, my lady.”

Katara rolled her eyes as her lips twitched into an amused smile. Rhett was quite the personality. And the complete opposite of Zuko. How did the two of them become friends? Katara definitely wanted to know the story behind  _ that _ .

She caught Zuko’s eye as he shut her door. He rolled his eyes and shook his head before he strode across the front of the car and climbed behind the steering wheel. He turned the engine over and pulled away from the curb.

Rhett leaned forward between their seats. “So, White Lotus?” 

“You need to put your damn seatbelt on before you get me pulled over,” Zuko snapped. “And I thought you said you wanted to go to the bar. The White Lotus is  _ not  _ a bar.”

“What is it, then?” Katara asked.

“A club,” Rhett answered.”It’s way better than a bar.”

Zuko’s jaw clenched as he glanced in the rearview mirror. “Dude, come on. Seatbelt.”

“Fine, fine. If you insist.” Rhett sat back. A moment later Katara heard the click of his seatbelt. 

“A club, hm?” Katara inquired, arching her brow.

“You ever been to one?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rhett lean as close to her as the seat belt would allow him to.

“No, never.” Sokka and Suki liked to go to raves, but that wasn’t Katara’s scene, and it wasn’t exactly like a club anyway. “I’ve been wanting to go to one, but I haven’t had the time.”

“Well, let’s pop that cherry then. Me and Zuko will show you a good time. Wait.” Rhett leaned in again. “Are you even twenty-one?”

“No, she’s not,” Zuko gritted out. 

“Well, that’s a bummer,” Rhett said. Katara turned back towards him, brow arched. He was smirking. “So does that mean she gets to be the designated driver?”

“Hell no,” Zuko said. “You know better than that, Rhett. No one drives my car but me.”

“ _ Lame _ . Who’s gonna get wasted with me now then?” Rhett griped. He thumped Zuko’s arm playfully. “C’mon, man. Let Katara drive. I’m sure she’s a good driver.”

“Oh, I don’t-I’m not—” Katara stammered as heat rose in her cheeks.

“Forget it, man,” Zuko said. Katara gave him a grateful look. Zuko saw the look, and gave a nearly imperceptible nod. “You should’ve said something before we left. We could have taken the train or something.”

“Hey, it was spur-of-the-moment. I didn’t think it through. Don’t get mad at me because you’re lame.

Katara watched Zuko roll his eyes, and she stifled a laugh behind her hand as she looked out the window at Ba Sing Se passing by.

They were in an unfamiliar part of the city to Katara, and she took in the buildings and streets they passed. This part of the Lower Tier seemed to be a little nicer than the majority of it, almost as if it were struggling to gain a foothold in the city. 

Zuko clearly knew where he was going and he guided the Challenger through the streets with the ease with which he always drove. Within twenty minutes, Zuko was pulling into the crowded parking lot of a nightclub. Katara could already hear the pulsating throb of the bass. 

“Alright! Let’s have some fun, kiddies.” Rhett leaned forward between the seats again, teeth flashing in another smirk. His eyes combed over her. “Not exactly a club outfit, is it?”

Katara glanced down at her uniform shirt beneath her sweater and dark jeans. “I guess not.” Her eyes lit up. “I think I’ve got an extra shirt in my bag. I’ll go change into it after we get in.”

“Speaking of which, if we ever want to get through the line, we should probably do that now,” Zuko said.

“Right.” Katara grabbed her bag. 

Zuko got out of the car and came around to her side to open her door. Katara stepped out and shrugged her purse over her shoulder, grateful she had thrown an extra set of clothes in there before her swim practice earlier that week. Rhett climbed out after her.

“Well, aren’t you just a gentleman?” he teased Zuko, who just rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut. 

Then the three of them approached the club. Surprisingly, the line wasn’t that long and they only stood outside for about twenty minutes before they finally passed through the doors. Rhett kept her entertained with anecdotes from their teen years, with Zuko rolling his eyes and huffing out irritated breaths before he relented enough to crack a smile and add a few comments of his own. Then they were in.

Inside it was hot and stuffy despite the cool breeze blowing through the air conditioner vents. The lighting was dim, accented by neon lights that flashed and pulsed along with the upbeat techno music. The room was lined with tables and booths, and the middle of the floor was a dance floor packed with bodies. 

Katara, Zuko, and Rhett stood close to one another in the crowded line as they shuffled towards the no-nonsense looking bouncer who was checking IDs and stamping hands. She had never been to a club, but apparently, the movies weren’t that far off. Katara dug her wallet out of her purse and removed her ID. 

Rhett nudged her. “Don’t worry. If you really want to drink, no one at the bar checks to see if you’re underage.”

“Oh. I uh, I don’t really drink,” Katara said. Her eyes fell on the dance floor. “But that looks like fun.”

“You dance?” Rhett grinned at her. 

Katara felt a blush rise in her cheeks. “Um, yeah. A little.”

“Interesting.” 

She didn’t miss the look Rhett shot Zuko over her head, and she was reminded of the conversation she had overheard back at the Jasmine Dragon. It was clear that Rhett was interested in her, and now he and Zuko were engaged in some weird guy thing where Rhett was...looking for Zuko’s permission? Or something like that. Katara didn’t really know, but she assumed it all tied back into that ridiculous thing her brother called the  _ bro code _ . 

She could almost roll her eyes about it. Wasn’t she a grown woman who could decide for herself?  _ Well, if you did have to choose, you’d probably pick Zuko, _ she thought to herself as they moved forward in line.  _ The Bad Boy.  _ She didn’t know Rhett well, but she thought he might be more of a fun-loving goofball than anything else. Zuko was the complete opposite. But Rhett  _ also _ seemed to have one thing on his mind, and Katara wasn’t interested in that.

  
  


But as far as she could tell, Zuko wasn’t interested in her like that, anyway. Sure, he seemed to enjoy casually flirting with her, and surprising her with trips up to the wall and cute little diners, but for the past week, he hadn’t made any indication that he wanted something more. 

They had sat through two days of speeches in Comm before presenting their own. Zuko had kept her entertained with whispered commentary as he critiqued their fellow classmates’ confidence, flow, and demeanor. Katara had been enraptured more by his assessments than the speeches themselves. He was able to point out the flaws in their presentations, body language, speech patterns, and more, and Katara had soon found herself jotting down notes. 

There  _ might _ have been something though, during class yesterday when the last pair presented their speech. The girl had been a nervous wreck so her male partner had taken the lead and dove into a speech that nearly mirrored the one Katara had begun. It was about Sozin’s Corp. 

Katara had felt Zuko stiffen beside her. He had leaned closer until they were shoulder-to-shoulder as he had been whispering to her, and when she turned to look at him, she found his hands had curled into fists. He had lowered his head until his hair fell into his eyes so she couldn’t quite make out his expression, but it wasn’t hard to see that this wasn’t easy for him.

She had felt bad for him. She could tell from their conversation on the wall that his family’s company was a sore spot for him. She wanted to comfort him, so she did the only thing she could think to do: she had reached over and let her fingers brush over the back of his hand.

She hadn’t allowed herself to linger in case the gesture was unwelcome, but she saw the way his eyes flickered to her before the corner of his lips pulled up into a grateful smile. Then he had returned his focus to the front of the classroom, and that had been that. 

He hadn’t talked about his family’s company or the speeches at work last night, or tonight. And Katara wasn’t sure what to make of it at all. 

But she wasn’t going to think about that now. She was at a club for the first time. She should be concentrating on having fun, something Suki always encouraged her to do. And she wasn’t going to let either of the two guys who were with her get in the way of that.

Finally they were in front of the bouncer. The three of them showed their IDs and had their hands stamped with a white lotus that glowed under the ultraviolet lights. There was a brief silent standoff as the guys debated who would pay for Katara before she finally handed the bouncer a bill herself. She’d left her purse in Zuko’s car, but had brought in her ID and a little bit of cash. Then the bouncer wrapped a black paper bracelet around Katara’s wrist before he let them through.

“I’m hitting the bar. Who wants a shot?” Rhett asked.

Katara’s eyes cut around the room. “I’m going to the ladies’ room first. I’ll meet you guys over there.”

Rhett started for the bar, but Zuko caught her wrist before she went. He had to lean in to talk into her ear to be heard over the music.

“We don’t have to stay long. As soon as you’re ready to go, let me know.”

Katara pulled back far enough to give him a smile. “Sure thing. Thanks, Zuko.”

She turned and went to the bathroom. The line there seemed to be longer than the one outside the door, and for a moment, Katara nearly turned around to rejoin the guys at the bar. But then she realized that she  _ actually _ had to pee, so she got in the back of the line with the other clubgoers. 

She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Suki and Yue. She knew the drill. She trusted Zuko, but Katara knew that not everyone else was so trustworthy.

K> _ Hey just wanted to let you know I’m out with Zuko and one of his friends at a club. I’ll text you when I get home.  _

K> _ Hey just wanted to tell you I’m at the White Lotus club in case I don’t come home lol  _

Yue texted back first, then Suki. 

Y> _ Ok. I hope you have fun!  _

Followed shortly by two texts from Suki.

S> _ Oooohhhhh.  _

S> _ Also I know where you are. We have Share My Location, remember?  _

K> _ Oh. Right. Well I’ll text you later.  _

S> _ Have fun!! _

Eventually, Katara made it into the bathroom. She went into a stall, relieved her bladder, then changed out of the green work shirt and into one of her favorite blouses. It was a navy-blue cold-shoulder top with a lace collar that hugged her curves. It wasn’t really like what the other girls were wearing, but it was better than her work shirt.

Then Katara was back out in the club. The music was so loud she could feel it vibrating in her chest. People were dancing all around her, drinking and talking. She skirted the dancefloor, combing the bar for Zuko and Rhett. 

She finally spotted them sitting at one end. Zuko was nursing a beer while Rhett was throwing back a shot. Neither of them had seen her yet, and Katara took a moment to observe them. Rhett was laughing and Zuko was scowling. Again, she marvelled at their strange friendship. She wondered how they had become friends in the first place.

Rhett saw her first, and she watched his eyes comb over her appreciatively. Zuko glanced over at her and did a quick doubletake. Then he dropped his gaze and took a sip of his beer.

“There you are,” Rhett said as he walked around Zuko to her. “For a minute, we thought you ditched us.” He flashed his smirk. “Now how about that dance?” 

Katara glanced between him and Zuko, who was still nursing his beer. He didn’t seem like he was going to protest it, and Katara really did want to dance, so she looked up at Rhett with a smile.

“Sure,” she said. But then she pointed at him. “But no funny business, you hear me?”

His lips curled into a crooked smile and he held his hands up. “You got it, Katara.” He looked back at Zuko. “Don’t have too much fun without us.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure.”

Rhett put his hand on the small of her back and guided her out onto the floor. The music was even louder there, and it was impossible to hear anything unless they leaned in close. The floor was crammed with sweaty, writhing bodies, and the two of them were pushed into close proximity. 

Rhett was tall, well-built, with a charming smile and playful eyes. He smelled nice too, like mahogany. But while he was good-looking, Katara didn’t feel any sort of spark towards him, no initial attraction whatsoever. It was the total opposite of how she felt towards a certain someone else.

Rhett kept his word though. He didn’t lay a hand on her while they danced. One song melded into the next and Katara slowed down, feeling the sweat that was starting to dampen her skin. It was hot on the dance floor.

Katara leaned closer to Rhett. “How did you and Zuko meet? You guys are like, total opposites.”

Rhett chuckled, his green eyes sparkling in the fluorescents. “We met back in high school when he was this broody, angsty teenager who hated the world.”

Katara glanced over at Zuko. “And that’s changed?”

He let out a hearty laugh. “Nah. Now he’s a broody, angsty young adult who hates the world.” Rhett smirked. “But he’s a good guy. He’s just...been through a lot.”

“So I’m learning.”

Rhett gave her another smile. “Did you guys meet at work? He’s never told me about you.”

“Funny, he’s never mentioned you, either.” Katara smirked at him. “We...met on campus. Then found out we worked together. It’s been...interesting.”

“Zuko’s an interesting person, once you get past his rough exterior.” Katara laughed. Rhett appraised her for a moment. “So, is there anything going on between the two of you? ’Cause if there is, and he didn’t tell me, I’m gonna be  _ very _ upset.”

“Will you, though? Or does that mean I’m free game if there isn’t?” Katara quipped, a humorous smile tugging at her lips.

Rhett gave her a sheepish smile. “You caught me.” He shrugged. “You seem like a cool chick, Katara. I’d like to get to know you some more.”

“And you seem like a sweet guy, Rhett, but I’m not really interested in dating anyone right now.” She offered him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I’m new here, and I’m still settling in. I’m not really looking for anything serious.”

Rhett leaned in closer and offered her a sultry smile. “It doesn’t have to be serious.”

“Rhett? Thanks, but no thanks.” Katara held her hand up between them and stepped back. “Maybe we should go check on our broody friend.”

Rhett gave her a regretful look. “Yeah, maybe we should.” 

Together, they made their way back to where Zuko was still sitting at the bar. He looked up at them, his mouth set in an unhappy line, as Rhett snagged the barstool next to him. Katara dropped onto the stool on Zuko’s other side, a little sweaty and out of breath. 

“Have fun?” Zuko asked wryly.

“Katara is a  _ great _ dancer,” Rhett said as he flagged down a bartender. He elbowed Zuko. “I bet she’d love to dance with you.”

“I don’t dance,” Zuko griped.

“Aww, come on, what a load of—”

“ _ Rhett _ .”

He held his hands up. “Alright, alright. So, how about a shot instead?”

“ _ One  _ shot. I still have to drive,” Zuko said. 

“Yeah, yeah. Next time we’re taking the train.” The bartender came over, and Rhett ordered two shots of whiskey. 

“I’ll take a water,” Katara told the bartender.

The bartender disappeared, and Rhett turned back to Zuko. “So, how’s BSSU? Same stuff, different year?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Zuko snorted before he polished off his beer.

Katara leaned around him to look at Rhett. “You don’t go to BSSU?”

“You kiddin’? They couldn’t pay me to go there,” Rhett said. 

“What he means is that he dropped out last year, went on a year-long bender, and came back to work for his dad’s company, sans degree,” Zuko interjected.

Rhett looked mildly offended. “Hey, that was  _ not _ a bender. I spent the year soul-searching, thank you very much.”

“In the bottom of a tequila bottle.”

“Technicalities.” Rhett snorted and rolled his eyes. Then he looked over at Katara. “I tried to convince Zuko to join me. My dad offered him a position too, great benefits, good pay. But he wouldn’t take it. He’s set on getting that business degree.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Zuko said, his voice terse. 

“Just gotta stick it to your old man, huh?”

“Better than getting a handout,” Zuko snapped. He stood up suddenly. “I’m gonna go get some air.” Then he spun on his heel and started making his way through the crowd.

Katara arched a brow at Rhett, who shrugged sheepishly. 

“Touchy subject,” he said.

“Yeah. His dad owns a pretty big company from what Zuko’s said,” Katara murmured. “Sounds like they don’t have the best relationship.”

“They don’t have one at all. Zuko hasn’t talked to his dad since high school.” Rhett pressed his lips together. “But I really shouldn’t’ve said anything. I know how he gets.” He huffed out a breath. “My problem is I don’t know when to keep my big mouth shut.” 

The bartender came back and Rhett reached for his shot. Katara looked back over her shoulder and saw Zuko making his way towards the exit. She turned back to Rhett.

“I’m gonna go talk to him,” she said.

Rhett gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, maybe you should.” Then he smirked. “It’d be really messed up for him to get angry enough to leave us here, wouldn’t he?”

Katara snorted. “It would probably just be you.” She took a gulp of her water before she slid off of the stool. “If we’re not back in ten minutes, we left without you.”

“Tell him if he doesn’t get back in here, I’m taking his shot.”

Katara shook her head as she cut through the room, stepping around the people that crowded the floor. Finally, she was pushing out into the cooling night. She wrapped her arms around herself against the sudden chill as she headed for the parking lot.

She found Zuko leaning on the hood of the Challenger, face up towards the sky. Katara glimpsed upwards. The night sky was so different here than it was in the South Pole, or even Gaoling. Here, light pollution blotted out the stars and tinged the skies a dusty purple. In Gaoling, most of the stars shone through the light. And at the South Pole, it was like Katara could see every star.

“Hey.” Katara stopped beside him.

Zuko looked up at her, his face creased into a scowl. He relaxed his expression when he saw her. 

“Hey.” He huffed out a breath and looked away from her. “Sorry about that. Rhett just has a...way of managing to say all the wrong things.”

“He told me.” Katara walked in front of the hood of the car and sat beside him. “We can go, if you want.”

Zuko sighed heavily. “Yeah, that might be best. I’m not in the mood for this.”

“Are you ever?” Katara teased, hoping to lighten the mood. 

Zuko looked at her sharply, his brow creasing again, but when he saw her light smile, his lips quirked up into a smile of their own.

“Sometimes,” Zuko quipped back. 

He stood up, and Katara did too. The wind picked up, and Katara felt goosebumps crawl over her skin. She rubbed her palms against her arms.

“Are you cold?” She looked up and found him frowning down at her.

“I’m fine. It’s hot in there, anyway.”

She and Zuko crossed the parking lot. They cut the line, which earned them some protests that Zuko quickly silenced with a scathing look. They showed their stamps to the bouncer, who waved them through. They found Rhett chatting up a pretty redhead at the bar, obviously moving on from Katara.

“Hmph. Typical,” Zuko snorted as they approached him. “He isn’t going anywhere.” 

Rhett looked up and spotted them, offering a nod. “Hey, guys. What’re you up to?”

“Taking off,” Zuko said. He glanced between Rhett and the woman. “Do you want a ride?”

Rhett flashed a grin at the girl he was flirting with. “Nah, I think I’ll stay here a while. You guys go ahead and take off. I’ll see you later, Zuko.”

“Yeah, later.” 

Zuko turned back towards the door and Katara followed him. They made their way back to the Challenger, and Zuko unlocked the doors before he opened Katara’s for her. Katara sat down and waited for Zuko to get in.

He slid into the seat beside her and leaned his head against the headrest as he let out a sigh. Then he looked over at her.

“Sorry,” he said.

Katara frowned. “For what?”

Zuko exhaled again as he looked out the windshield. “For letting Rhett drag you out here and for getting pissed off.” 

“Hey, I had a lot of fun.” He glanced over at her and she smiled reassuringly. “I haven’t had much of an opportunity to explore the city.” Katara frowned thoughtfully. “Except for with you. You know, like the wall, and that diner.”

Zuko quirked his brow at her. “Seriously?” He turned the engine on and reversed out of the parking spot. “You need to get out more.”

Katara snorted. “When do I have time? Between classes, work, and swim practice, I barely have time to sleep.”

“It’s all about priorities.” Zuko pulled out of the parking lot and started towards the Upper Ring. “You live in the biggest city in the world, and it’s by far the coolest city, and you don’t want to go out and explore it?”

“Of course I do, but I also have a pretty busy schedule.” Katara gave him a pointed look. “And how often do  _ you _ go out and have fun? You have a full class schedule and you work just as much as I do.”

“Are you kidding? You met my roommate. I’m only at my dorm to sleep.” Zuko smirked crookedly at her. 

“So what kind of things do you go out and do when you’re not in class, not at work, and not sleeping?” Katara asked.

“Well, it seems I give a lot of rides to you.” His smirk widened.

Katara felt a blush rise in her cheeks as she let out an indignant sound. “Hey, if I recall correctly, you’re the one who insisted on giving me a ride in the first place. And then you offered. I don’t think I’ve actually asked for a ride  _ once _ .”

“True, true...but you haven’t turned one down yet.” He glanced over at her again. “I can’t believe you moved to the biggest city in the world without a car. Sure, there’s the trains, but they take forever.”

Katara looked out the window. “I don’t drive.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I have my license, but I just...don’t.” Her blush deepened.

“Why?”

Katara peeked over at him. He was watching the road, but his eyes flickered over to her. Katara let out a breath. “I don’t know. I just never really felt the need to. We just rode our bikes when we were kids, then when Sokka turned sixteen he got his license and...I just always rode with him.” She shrugged.

“Fair enough. Me? I couldn’t wait to drive. Got my license on my sixteenth birthday.”

“Well, you’re an excellent driver.” Katara peered over at him. “And I really did have a good time tonight. Rhett is...fun.”

“He’s also a shameless womanizer.”

Katara snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, I had to let him down gently.”

“Sorry about that, too. I didn’t know he was going to drop by the shop.” Zuko’s mouth twisted. “He also doesn’t know how to send a text, apparently.”

“I’m serious. I didn’t mind. I had a lot of fun.”

Zuko’s eyes flickered to her. “I’m glad.”

They made it back to the campus. Zuko parked outside of her dorm and walked her to the door. Katara lingered for a moment, offering Zuko a shy smile.

“I hope you had at least kind of a good time,” she said to him.

The corner of his lips tugged up. “Yeah. It was nice. Some parts were better than others.” His eyes seemed to smolder and heat bloomed in her cheeks. “Have a good night, Katara.”

“You too, Zuko. Try not to kill Chan, okay? I can’t bum rides if you’re in jail.”

He snorted out a laugh. “Alright, I’ll try. But no promises.”

* * *

  
  


The next night Katara was in her dorm working on a paper for her political history class when her brother video called her. Katara answered it and propped her phone up on the desk so she could keep working.

“Hey, sis, what are you up to?” Sokka was in his dorm room. She would recognize the white-painted bricks anywhere, let alone the Avicii poster taped to the wall behind him. 

“Homework.” She looked up at him. “You?”

“Just got done with a late hockey practice. Coach is riding us even harder than last year.” His hair was damp from a shower and he toweled it dry. “Dad called me.”

“Oh?” 

Katara had heard from their dad earlier that week. Their conversation had been stilted. Katara knew what his job demanded of him, knew that it required long stays from home, but she still harbored bitter feelings because of it. When everything had hit the fan last year, she had wanted nothing more than to cry in her dad’s arms, but he hadn’t been there. 

“How did that go?” Katara asked.

“He’s coming home soon.”

That got her attention. Her fingers froze over the keyboard. “What? When?” 

“It’s just for the weekend, but he’ll be home two weeks from now.” Sokka grinned at her. “Do you want me to come pick you up?”

Katara frowned. “He’s going to Gaoling? Shouldn’t he be going home to see Gran-Gran?”

Sokka shrugged. “He says he’ll see her next time. He told me he’s gonna try to come home for the Winter Solstice.”

“Oh.” 

Sokka frowned at her. “Oh? You sound so excited, Tara.”

“I am,” Katara said defensively. She hadn’t seen their dad in almost eight months. Of course she wanted to see him. “I’d love it if you picked me up, Sokka.”

Sokka smiled at her, but she could see the worry in his eyes. “You don’t have to tell him anything about you-know-who if you don’t want to.”

“I know.” Katara drummed her fingers on the tabletop. “So when are you going to pick me up?”

“Well, given the drive time, I thought I’d come get you on Friday. I probably won’t get in until the evening, but then we can just drive back to Gaoling and catch a few Z’s before we have to pick Dad up at the airport. I’ll bring Suki so we can take turns driving.”

“Okay, sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

“See you then.” He hesitated. “Wait. How are things going? Suki told me your manager at that tea shop is kind of a jerk-wad. Do I need to come and put the beat down on him?”

Katara chuckled, rolling her eyes. “No, it’s fine now. We reached a mutual understanding. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet him when you come and get me.”

“Wait, he’s not your boyfriend or anything, is he?” Sokka popped his knuckles threateningly. “Do I have to come give him the big-brother spiel?”

Katara blushed furiously. “He is  _ not  _ my boyfriend.” She scowled at him. “He’s a...friend. We have a class together.”

“Hmph. Well, you let me know if I need to come beat him up, okay?”

“Will do, big brother. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” 

Once she was off the phone, Katara finished up her paper before she got ready for bed. Once she was under her duvet, she stared up at her ceiling as an excited smile creased her face. No matter what sort of negative feelings she might have felt about her dad, Katara was looking forward to seeing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think is gonna happen in the next chapter?


	12. Hum Hallelujah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara is getting ready for her trip to Gaoling when a call from Sokka makes everything go awry. Zuko comes to the rescue.

_The road outside my house is paved with good intentions._

_Hired a construction crew ’cause it’s hell on the engine._

_And you are a dreamer, and we are the dream._

_I could write it better than you ever felt._ **_  
_** **_“Hum Hallelujah” by Fall Out Boy_ **

* * *

Everything was going perfectly to plan. Katara had taken the evening off work so she could finish packing and catch a short nap before Sokka got there. She had made sure to get all of her homework done so she could spend the weekend with her dad, brother, and Suki without any distractions. 

At least, it was all going well until Sokka called her shortly after 5 pm.

“Slight change of plans, Tara.” Sokka was yelling to be heard over the roar of traffic in the background. “Suki and I are currently broken down on the side of the road an hour outside of Gaoling.”

“ _What?_ ” 

“I said—”

Katara growled in frustration. “I heard what you said, Sokka! So does that mean you won’t be able to come and get me?”

“Well, my car is currently smoking on the side of the road so no, I don’t think I’m going to be able to come and get you.” Sokka sighed. She could hear the irritation in his voice. “I don’t even know how I’m going to pick Dad up tomorrow. Maybe I can call Hahn and borrow his car.” 

Katara pulled a face. But then she had a thought: maybe she could ask Zuko to take her down there. Maybe it was wild and crazy, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized how much she missed her dad. She _really_ did want to see him. And things with Zuko were...going well. So they hadn’t spent any time together in a non-work related capacity since the club (and they hadn’t had any more Comm assignments together), but they were _friendly_. 

And really, it wasn’t like she was against spending more time with him.

“I’ll call you back, Sokka,” Katara said. “Let me find out if I can have a friend pick me up and bring me down there.”

“Okay. Let me know.” A large truck rolled by and drowned out his voice. “...waiting for the tow truck.”

“I’ll call you back.” Katara hung up. 

She looked down at her phone. She didn’t think Zuko was in a class, if she remembered correctly—not that she really knew his class schedule or anything. She was also unsure about calling him. She had only ever texted him before. She opened her text app and clicked on his name.

K: _Are you busy rn?_

She walked over to where her backpack sat on her desk chair, packed for the weekend. She hoped he texted her back quickly. It was a long drive to Gaoling and she needed to figure out if she could get a ride or not.

_Well, if Zuko can’t, I can always ask Aang,_ Katara thought, but she didn’t like the sound of that as much. And she was pretty sure Aang had mentioned a track meet he had that weekend. Her phone buzzed.

Z: _What’s up?_

K: _Can I call you? I need a favor._

Katara rocked on the balls of her feet while she impatiently waited for his response.

Z: _Sure_

Katara called him. The phone rang twice before Zuko answered.

“What’s up, Katara?” His voice was huskier over the phone. The sound of her name on his tongue sent a tremor of heat through her belly and she forced herself to focus.

“Um, hi. So, like I said, I kind of need a favor.” Katara chewed her bottom lip, suddenly nervous. This seemed like a big leap from coworkers and partner projects and kind-of friends. This was definitely wild and crazy.

She had let the silence drag out too long. Zuko cleared his throat. “So what do you need?”

“So...it’s kind of a funny story.” A nervous giggle escaped her. “Uh, so my brother was supposed to come and pick me up today and take me back to Gaoling for the weekend—um, which I guess you might’ve known since I requested today off...but his truck broke down. Normally it wouldn’t be a big deal but we’re supposed to pick up our dad tomorrow. He’s in the Navy, and I haven’t seen him in a while and I’d really like to see him and um, I know it’s a really long drive but I was wondering if you could take me down there? I’ll pay for your gas.”

Katara took in a silent breath. She’d forgotten to breathe while she was rambling out an explanation.

“When did you want to leave?”

“Well, my brother was supposed to be here around 8 pm. We were going to drive through the night.”

There was a shuffling sound on Zuko’s end. “If you’re ready, we could go now. We’d get there around 1.” 

Katara blinked owlishly. “You mean, you’ll take me?”

“Yes.” She could hear the amusement in his voice. 

“Oh my spirits, thank you, Zuko!” She couldn’t contain her squeal of excitement. “I seriously appreciate it. I’ll pay your gas and get you snacks and whatever else. Like seriously, I am in your debt.”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, Katara. I’ve been wanting to get out of here for a while.”

Katara frowned as she thought of something. “What about work?”

“I’ll call Haru. He owes me a favor.”

“Will you drive back tonight?”

“Don’t you need a ride home?”

Katara pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Yeah, probably. If my brother can’t get his car fixed by Sunday.”

“It’s a pretty long drive. I can just rent a hotel room.” She heard the familiar sound of the Challenger start up. “Then I’ll just drive us back on Sunday.”

“I mean, are you sure?” Katara asked. She had already worked it out with Zuko to have the night off. “I don’t want to disrupt your weekend. I can always call someone else—” But who else was there? Aang was busy, and she really didn’t know Yue or Keiko well enough to ask. If Zuko backed out on her, she could kiss Gaoling goodbye.

“No worries.” She heard the tick-tock of the turn signal. She didn’t like the thought of him driving and talking on the phone and she frowned. “Give me thirty minutes to throw some things together and I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay. Text me when you get here. And seriously, thanks again.”

“Will do.” The line disconnected.

Katara hurried to text her brother, relief washing over her. 

K: _Found a ride. I’ll be there around 11 tonight._

S: _Ok, let me know when u get in. But u need to get a motel. Ur check-in isn’t until 9 am tomorrow._

Katara sighed, and sent a quick reply. She could probably cancel the reservation Suki had made for her, and just find a new motel down in Gaoling. The tourist season was mostly over, so it couldn’t be _that_ hard.

She walked over to her backpack and unzipped it, inspecting the outfits she had packed. Jeans, tank tops, and one nice blouse for the family dinner tomorrow night. Katara looked at the outfit she had on: black Capri leggings and an old t-shirt. 

Thinking quickly, and doing so before she lost her nerve, Katara yanked her shirt off over her head as she walked over to her dresser. She pulled out a light blue off-the-shoulder crop top and a pair of denim shorts. 

_Perfect,_ she thought with a small satisfied smile. 

* * *

Zuko was leaning up against the side of the Challenger when Katara stepped outside. It wasn’t as hot today as it had been lately, but the late-September sun was still warm on her skin. 

She walked over to him with a grateful smile on her face. “You are seriously a life-saver right now,” Katara told him as he opened the trunk for her backpack. “I would’ve been so crushed if I didn’t get to see my dad. Did you get everything with work taken care of?”

“Yeah, I got Haru to cover for me. Jin was already coming in for your shift, so it’s fine.” He closed the trunk and went over to open her door. “No big deal.”

Katara slid onto the seat, feeling the warmth of the leather against her skin. At least this time it wasn’t scorching. “Well, I really do appreciate it.”

Zuko smirked down at her. “You’re welcome.” He then shut her door and walked around the car.

Then he was climbing into the seat beside her, the smell of his cologne filling the air. As Katara breathed him in, she realized she had just signed up for an eight hour drive with Zuko...twice. 

Zuko turned the car on and connected his phone to the Bluetooth. He glanced over at her. “You wanna be in charge of the music?”

“Sure. My brother never lets me pick the music. He has this stupid rule where _driver picks the music and shotgun shuts his cakehole._ ” Katara thought her imitation of Sokka was pretty decent, and she caught Zuko’s amused grin.

“Well, I think that shotgun should be in charge.” His voice changed into an impression of a rigid safety instructor. “It’s very important for the driver to keep their eyes on the road. Safety, after all, is of the utmost importance.” His smirk widened, and Katara couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Says the guy who talks on the phone while he drives.”

Zuko was still wearing a half a grin as he said, “Bluetooth is a thing, you know.”

Katara blushed slightly and felt sheepish. “Right. I didn’t even think about that.”

He held out his phone and Katara took it. It felt a little weird to hold his phone in her hand. Personal. He had his Apple Music opened. She clicked on Songs and scrolled for a moment. 

“Any requests?”

“Play whatever you want.”

With that, Zuko turned the engine over. He put his hand on the back of her headrest to back out of the parking space. Katara kept her eyes on the phone. She pressed shuffle. _Sweater Weather_ started to play. 

“You listen to The Neighborhood?” She quirked her brow at him. 

Zuko looked over at her and smiled lopsidedly. “Why are you always so surprised by my taste in music?”

“Because it’s never what I expect,” Katara answered bluntly as she set his phone in the holder on the dashboard. 

“Well, I sincerely apologize for always surprising you.” He offered her a playful grin. “What kind of music do you expect me to listen to?”

Katara grimaced, a little embarrassed. “Well, to be honest, when I first met you I thought it would be like, deathcore and metal.”

“I do listen to a few metal bands, but not many,” Zuko told her. “Though, I’ve got to admit, your music tastes took me by surprise too.”

“Oh really? What sort of music did you think I listened to?” 

Zuko pursed his lips. “Definitely girly music. Taylor Swift. Demi Lovato. That kind of thing.” He looked over at her, grinning. “I definitely did not expect Fall Out Boy to be in your repertoire.”

Katara laughed. “Well, you can mostly thank my brother for that. He has a very...diverse taste in music. I’m sure you’ll find out when you meet him.”

“Meet him?” 

Katara looked over at Zuko, who suddenly looked quite uncomfortable. She had totally forgotten he had kind of already met Sokka, her first day on campus. And she had conveniently forgotten to remind her brother of that fact. 

“I mean, if you want to. No pressure.”

Zuko nodded. A heartbeat later he had recovered, and was back to his collected self. “I mean, from what you’ve said, your brother is a little...protective. I don’t want to get the third degree.”

“Oh no, I get it,” Katara said with a laugh. “Sokka is definitely over-protective. It’s like he forgets I’m a grown woman.” 

Zuko glanced her way. She saw his eyes trail the length of her body for the briefest moment before they returned to her face. “I don’t know how he could forget.” He swallowed. “I mean...you’re in college, for crying out loud.”

A blush rose in her cheeks and she looked away. “I know, right?” Katara shook her head to clear it. “But that’s how big brothers are, I guess. Sokka swears it’s in the _job description._ ” She held up her hands to do air quotes and deepened her voice in a mocking impression of her brother.

Zuko chuckled again, and Katara felt a pleasant warmth slide over her. He thought she was funny, and _that_ did funny things to her heart.

Zuko drove through the Tiers toward the wall. Traffic was heavy; people were rushing toward the walls for one of the last nice weekends of the season before the cool weather of fall settled in. Zuko expertly drove the Challenger through the stop-and-go traffic. 

Katara liked the ease with which he drove: one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting palm-down on his thigh. She could see the curve of his bicep and the way the sleeve of his white t-shirt strained against it. 

She wondered—and, admittedly, not for the first time since she had met him—what Zuko looked like without his shirt on. From the way his shirt hugged his chest she could tell he was in _very_ good shape. She wondered if he had abs, or a V-line, and if a trail of dark hair disappeared into the waistband of his designer jeans…

Katara distracted herself from those thoughts by leaning forward to grab his phone to pick some new music.

“Do you wanna listen to Fall Out Boy?” Katara asked, a tad more earnestly than she meant to.

Zuko’s eyes flickered to her face. “Yeah, sure. Like I said, play what you want.” 

Katara went to the Artists and found what she was looking for. She hit shuffle. Heat rose in her cheeks when the first song to play was _Thnks fr th Mmrs,_ and she quickly skipped it. 

“What’s wrong with that song?” Katara looked up to see Zuko smirking crookedly at her. “Do songs about sex make you uncomfortable?”

Katara gaped at him, her brain trying to compute the fact that he had just said the word “sex” to her, while her cheeks burned hotter. But then she managed to recover when he noticed how amused he looked at her response. 

“Ha, you’re _funny_ ,” she said sarcastically. “To answer your question, no, they don’t. But you told me to play whatever I want, and I just don’t feel like hearing that particular song right now. Is that alright, or do you want me to go back to it?”

Zuko chuckled. “No, no, it’s fine. You’re in charge.”

  
Katara settled deeper into the seat as her blush deepened. All of that hadn’t _really_ been necessary, was it? She was beginning to realize that this may be a longer trip than she was prepared for.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara decides to make the most of their trip with an old-fashioned game of Twenty Questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A random PWF chapter 2 days after my weekly upload? Yeah...you guys were supposed to get this one on Saturday too, but life has been crazy for me and FireLadyFae. We're both working, doing the mom thing, and trying not to lose our sanity through Zutara. So here's a (late) chapter!

_ Have you got color in your cheeks? _

_ Do you ever get that fear that you can’t shift the type _

_ That sticks around like summat in your teeth? _

_ Are there some aces up your sleeve? _

_ Have you no idea that you’re in deep? _

_ ‘Cause there’s this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow _

_ And I play it on repeat, until I fall asleep. _

**_“Do I Wanna Know?” by the Arctic Monkeys_ **

* * *

  
  


Katara stepped out of the women’s restroom at the small truck stop they had stopped at two hours into the drive. She dried off the last of the dampness on the back of her shorts—rest stop paper towels never worked properly—and saw Zuko leaning against the Challenger, his legs crossed at the ankle, scrolling through his phone with a scowl on his face. 

Katara frowned, hoping everything was okay. Really, they hadn’t gone far enough that he couldn’t turn back around if he needed to. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she crossed the pavement. 

He looked up at her footsteps and the scowl decreased minimally.

“Sorry, I should have warned you I have a tiny bladder. It drives my brother nuts.” She peered up at him. “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah. I’m trying to find a hotel, but I have zero service here.” Zuko heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He locked his phone and slid it into his pocket.

Katara resisted the relieved smile that threatened to crest her face. “I have service. I can find you a hotel while you drive.”

“Okay, sounds good.” He shrugged off of the car and opened the door for her. 

She smiled warmly at him as she slid down into her seat, and he returned it. She was always pleasantly surprised when he opened her doors for her. It was such a gentlemanly thing to do, and she couldn’t recall anyone else ever doing it before him. 

Just as she sat down, she heard the commotion of another couple parked a few spots over from them.

“Why don’t you ever hold the door open for  _ me _ like that?” complained the shrill voice of a woman.

Katara bit back a smile as she looked up at Zuko with a wide-eyed expression that said,  _ uh oh, he’s in trouble! _ Zuko raised his brow and winced as if to say,  _ whoops, didn’t mean to make you look bad there, buddy _ . Then he closed the door and came around the hood before he slid into his seat. Neither of them looked in the direction the voice had come from, but neither of them could resist snickering as they drove away.

As soon as they were back on the road, Katara pulled her phone out and searched for hotels in Gaoling. Which reminded her, she needed to cancel her reservation and find something for herself.

“What’s your budget?” Katara asked as she skimmed the recommendations.

“It doesn’t matter,” was the reply.

“Hmph, well, I can score you a room beside a very nice pimp, or you can get the penthouse at The Sage, your choice.” Katara cocked a grin at him.

Zuko snorted out a laugh. “Isn’t there a Best Earth Kingdom in Gaoling or something?” He looked over at her and arched his brow. “Where are you going to be staying? With your brother’s girlfriend or something?”

“Ah, no. I’m going to be reserving the room next to the pimp. Broke college student stuff, y’know,” Katara drawled as she found the hotel Zuko requested. She shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he can hire me for the night and I can earn some money so I can rent out the penthouse.”

Zuko snorted. “Very funny, Katara. I’d rather you didn’t, though. I’ll pay for your hotel room.”

Katara looked up from her phone, surprised. She studied his face to see if he was serious. He wasn’t looking at her, but he certainly didn’t look like he was joking. “No way. Best Earth Kingdom is like, a hundred bucks a night. I can’t afford that.” She barely had the money to cover the gas for their trip.

“I’m not asking you to pay me back. Just reserve two hotel rooms, okay?”

“Zuko...I appreciate it.” She swallowed. “I really do. But there’s no way I can accept that. I’ll book your room at Best Earth Kingdom, and I’ll find a motel close by so you don’t have to drive far. I’ll be fine.”

“Katara…” Zuko glanced over at her for a moment. “I’m not gonna hand my card over to you to book me a room anywhere until you accept my generosity. It’s either that or I drop you off at your motel, and then I’ll just get my own room there anyway. So...where would you rather stay?”

Katara gave him a half-hearted scowl. “You can’t be serious.”

“When have you ever known me to  _ not _ be serious?”

“Well...you’ve got a point there.” Katara sighed heavily. “There’s no talking you out of it, is there?” 

“If you’re sleeping with the roaches, I’m sleeping with them too.” He shot a crooked smirk her way as he held out his credit card. “And I’m pretty sure you’ll like the complimentary breakfast over at B.E.K.”

“Or my brother will,” Katara muttered as she took it. She let out a dramatic sigh and looked over at him. “Fine. I’ll let you pay for my hotel room. But I  _ will _ pay for your gas.”

“Nope.”

“Zuko!”

His grin came her way again. “I’ll make you a deal. Let me pay for the gas and the hotel, and you can pay for the food, okay?”

“That’s not really fair.” Katara crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. “But fine. If that’s how you want to be.” She eyed him for a beat. How could he have been  _ such _ a jerk when she first met him? “I hope your appetite isn’t as big as my brother’s.” She uncrossed her arms and dialed the number to the hotel as she held her phone to her ear. A moment later, a concierge was in her ear asking how he could help her. “Yes, I’d like to reserve two rooms please. For tonight.” Katara listened and frowned.

“What?” Zuko asked, catching her expression.

“Hold on a sec.” Katara covered the speaker with her hand and turned toward him. “He says they only have one room open. There’s some convention or something, and a sports team, so all the rooms are booked. They only have the one” She sighed. “But it has two beds, at least.”

“So reserve it.” With one hand, he removed his credit card and handed it over to her.

For a moment, she gaped at his proffered credit card. “You...that won’t be weird for you?” She really hoped her hand sufficiently muted her end of the call.

His lips tugged up. “No...why? Would it be weird for  _ you?  _ You got some cute bunny slippers or a favorite stuffed animal you’re embarrassed for me to see?” Zuko was totally teasing her now.

Katara narrowed her eyes at him. “For your information, his name is Sam, he’s a turtle seal, and no, I am not ashamed of him.”

Zuko let out a low chuckle. “Oh, that’s cute Katara. But if  _ that’s  _ not it, then what is it? Are you afraid I sleep naked or something?”

Katara gawked at him, completely forgetting the concierge on the phone. “Y-you better not!”

An amused smile graced his lips as he looked at her, his eyes seeming to smolder. “What? I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”

Katara’s cheeks burned, and for several moments, she couldn’t speak. Zuko’s amused smirk only widened.

“I’m kidding,” he said. “Just get the room, alright?”

Her cheeks still flaming, she took her hand off the speaker and managed to say, “We’ll take it. Yes. We should be there around 11 tonight. Thanks.” She gave the credit card information to the concierge before she hung up the phone.

_ It’s not a big deal. We’ll have separate beds. It’s not like we had a choice. It’s just two nights. It’s totally fine. _ She was trying to convince herself, but she wasn’t doing a very good job.

To distract herself, she looked at Zuko. “I hope you know my brother is going to kill you now.”

Zuko grimaced. “Yeah, I’m not exactly making a good impression, am I? I mean, first time the guy sees me, I’m cutting him off in a parking lot and insulting him, and the next, I’m sharing a room with his sister. And it’s not exactly like I have a forgettable face.” Zuko scrubbed his hand down his face. “I just don’t want it to be a problem.”

“Yeahhhh...that’s why we don’t mention that we’re sharing a room. It’s just two nights. I’ll just have him meet me in the lobby. He definitely doesn’t need to know we shared a room.”

Zuko considered that for a moment, and then he shrugged. “Sounds like a plan.”

An hour later, they stopped for dinner at a chain restaurant that specialized in greasy hamburgers and salty French fries. Zuko went to pull into the drive-thru, but Katara stopped him with a sheepish smile.

“Tiny bladder,” she reminded him.

Zuko rolled his eyes, but the corner of his lips turned up good-naturedly as he whipped the Challenger into a spot. “Alright, alright. But we’re getting our food to go. Traffic is heavier than I thought it would be.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you in a hurry to get me there?” Katara arched her brow at him and offered a coy smirk.

Without skipping a beat, Zuko smiled back, ready to play her game. He leaned in closer then looked her up and down before he met her gaze and quipped, “Are you saying that you’re not?”

His golden eyes were smoldering, and with his lopsided smirk, Katara found herself utterly speechless. Seeing her flustered expression, and confident that he won this round, Zuko’s smirk turned into a wolfish grin before he turned away and got out of the car. 

  
  


She was left with her heart stuttering in her chest. How could he be so...so damn  _ flirtatious?  _ What was a girl supposed to think? Then he was opening her door and she had to at least pretend like her head wasn’t spinning.

“Do you know what you want? I’ll order while you go empty your  _ tiny _ bladder,” Zuko said as she got out of the car.

_ Oh, thank the spirits, he’s changing the subject!  _ Katara snorted. “Ha. Nice try! But  _ I’m _ buying the food, remember?”

They started for the doors as an amused smirk crossed his face. “Don’t worry. I’m just ordering. You can pay.”

Katara side-eyed him. “I’m not so sure I can trust you on that.”

“And you would be right. You definitely can’t trust me on that.”

“Zuko!”

Eventually, they worked it out. Meaning, Katara thwarted whatever plan he may have had by insisting they order their food before she went to the bathroom. As she ducked into the bathroom, she couldn’t quite shake his intense gaze from her mind. But then he had changed the subject, like their flirty teasing didn’t mean anything.  _ But that’s all it was, _ she reminded herself.  _ It’s just teasing _ .

But part of her couldn’t help but wish it wasn’t just teasing.

* * *

They were halfway through the drive when traffic finally let up and Zuko put on the speed. Katara watched the speedometer on the dashboard creep towards eighty. She would have been nervous if it were anyone else (like Sokka), but she trusted his driving. She trusted  _ him _ . The confidence with which he handled the Challenger told Katara that he wouldn’t put her in danger. But she still didn’t approve of him speeding.

The sun was fading quickly and soon they were in the dark, with only the headlights of passing cars to illuminate them as sporadically as an arrythmia. Katara peeked sideways at him. If the strain of the drive was getting to him, he didn’t show it. 

Now that they were too far to turn back, Katara thought she could use this opportunity to peel back some of his layers, to try to piece together some of the puzzle pieces that were Zuko. 

“So.” Katara cleared her throat. His eyes flickered to her for the briefest moment before they returned to the road. “I’ve been meaning to ask you...you remember how you said you were having a bad day? The day we met?”

It was hard to see him in the dark, but she thought she saw his grip on the steering wheel tighten. “What about it?”

“Well, I’ve just always wondered what made it a bad day.”

“Mm...” 

Katara waited patiently as the seconds dragged into a minute before she prodded him. “So…?”

“So what?” Zuko asked, his voice a little sharp.

Katara wondered if she made a mistake. It was almost too late to back out now, but she decided to press her luck. “I was wondering what made it a bad day. You seemed really ticked off.”

“I was.” Zuko flicked on the turn signal and pulled into the fast lane to pass a large truck. The engine of the Challenger roared as he pressed down on the gas. The speedometer slid up to 85, and then they were flying past the semi, and Zuko was pulling back into the right lane. He let up on the gas and the speedometer dropped down to 75. “Does it matter why?”

“Well, no, but I was just curious.” Katara shrugged. “I mean, the way you acted at that mixer…”

He sighed, the sound settling heavily in the car. “It had to do with my sister, alright?”

“The prodigy.”

Zuko snorted derisively. “Yeah. The  _ prodigy _ .”

Katara pushed a little harder. “What about her?”

Zuko glimpsed over at her before he looked ahead again. “I told you I’ve been in Ba Sing Se for about eight years, right? Well, my sister and my father have been in the Fire Nation all this time.” His mouth pressed into a thin line for a moment before he spoke again. “Until this year. When my sister transferred to BSSU.”

“Why?” Katara was hesitant. She didn’t want to press him too hard, but she really was curious. 

“To get under my skin? To stalk me? I don’t know.” He huffed out a breath. “She was going to the best private college money can buy in the Fire Nation. Business. From what I hear, she was a perfect student. So why would she transfer to BSSU?” Zuko shook his head. “I don’t know, and it’s slowly driving me crazy.”

“I’m sorry,” Katara said quietly.

Zuko shrugged. “I’ve been steering clear of her. By the grace of Agni, we don’t share any classes. Thank the spirits.” She saw his eye roll. “I don’t associate with my family much. So when I found out she was there, I confronted her at the sorority. Things got...heated.”

Katara recalled the crash she and Aang had heard from upstairs at the sorority mixer. She frowned. “Is your sister in the Kata Epi Kata sorority?”

“In it? Please.” He scoffed. “She owns it.”

Katara felt a shiver run down her spine. She could see the almond-shaped golden eyes, the high cheek bones, and the same aristocratic nose in her mind’s eye, only these belonged to a girl with a predator’s smile.

“Your sister is Azula, isn’t she?” Her voice was quiet, but Zuko still whipped his head around to look at her as if she had just announced she’d shot the Earth King.

“How did you know that?” His voice was strained and muted.

Katara peeked up at him. His eyes darted between her and the road. “She...invited me to join her sorority. Like, a few weeks after school started. I told her no.”

Zuko’s eyes linger on her for a few seconds longer. “And she didn’t destroy you?” His tone was bordering on incredulity.

“She’s a college kid. What can she do to me?” Katara shrugged. “She didn’t even seem all that mad that I turned down her offer, honestly.”

“Mm.” Zuko kept his eyes on the road. 

Katara frowned. “Should I be nervous?”

“Probably not.” He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “I mean, let’s just say...Azula doesn’t get told no very often.”

She thought of that feral smile again. “I believe it.” She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “Is there bad blood between you and your family because Azula is the prodigy?”

Zuko barked out a laugh. It was harsh in the quiet space. Katara worried she had pushed him too far, but when he turned his gaze on her, there was humor in his eyes. 

“You are just full of questions tonight, aren’t you? Does having me trapped in a car with you for the next three and a half hours have anything to do with that?”

She blushed, embarrassed he had called her gambit. “Maybe?” She dragged the word out to a dramatic length before she grinned at him. “There’s nowhere to run, and you’re too much of a gentleman to leave me on the side of the road.”

“There’s always the trunk.”

“At which point my brother will  _ definitely _ kill you.” 

Zuko grinned at her. “I think it might be worth it.”

“I’d like to see you try. I’ll put up a fight.”

“Well, we  _ have _ been meaning to spar. Now’s as good a time as any.”

She poked her tongue out at him. “Ha-ha, very funny.” Then she considered their current situation. “Okay, I have an idea. Let’s play Twenty Questions. You ask a question, and I have to answer it, and vice-versa.”

Zuko pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I don’t think I like the sound of that.” Then a smirk tugged at his lips. “I mean, I like the sound of asking  _ you _ anything I want, but I don’t think I like the sound of answering anything you ask me.”

“You don’t have to answer anything you’re not comfortable with,” Katara amended quickly. She pointed at him. “But that doesn’t mean you get to deflect all of my questions, either. Deal?”

Zuko mulled it over for a few moments. Just when she thought he wouldn’t play along, he spoke up. “Deal. I’ll go first.”

“Okay.”

“Why did you go for political science?”

Katara looked at him, arching her brow. “Seriously?  _ That’s _ the first question you want to ask me?”

He leered at her in the dark. “We’ve got plenty of time to ask the more hard-hitting questions. I thought I’d go easy on you to start.”

“Well...actually, it’s really not an easy question.” She sighed. “I chose poli-sci because I thought I could use it to help the Southern Water Tribe. Things are bad down there. Poverty. Crime. It seems like my people are always on the brink of a civil war. You don’t hear much about it up here. We’re not  _ big news _ like the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation. Or even the Northern Water Tribe. It’s why my dad moved us up to Gaoling after—”

Zuko looked over at her when she suddenly cut off. “After what?”

She exhaled slowly and looked out the window before she continued. “After my mom died.”

He was silent for a heartbeat. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It happened a long time ago” Katara cleared her throat. “My turn. What’s your favorite color?”

He let out an incredulous snort. “Really? That’s what you want to know? And you were laughing at  _ my _ question?”

“I do.”

Zuko pressed his lips together. “Yellow.”

“Yellow?” She was surprised. “I would’ve guessed red.”

He chuckled. “Nope. It’s yellow. My turn. What’s your favorite color? And if you say blue—”

“Blue,” Katara answered, grinning.

“—then I’m going to call you a Water Tribe stereotype.”

Katara shrugged. “So I’m a stereotype. I  _ like _ blue.” She gestured to the sky-blue cropped top she was wearing. “Obviously. I’m almost always wearing it. My turn.” She considered her question. There were a thousand things she wanted to know about him, but she didn’t want to drop a heavy question right away. “If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?”

Zuko mulled it over before he answered. “There’s a turtle-duck pond on my family’s property in the Fire Nation. My mom used to take me and Azula there a lot when we were younger and we actually got along. It was sort of my happy place, I guess. I haven’t been there in years.”

“That’s really sweet,” Katara said genuinely. 

Zuko exhaled. “My turn.” His eyes flickered over to her and trailed the length of her body. “Do you have any tattoos?”

Katara felt a blush rise in her cheeks. “I do. One.” She gestured to her ribs. “But you’re going to call me a stereotype again.”

“Why? What is it?” 

“You only get one question per turn!”

“Fine. Ask me a question.”

“Do  _ you _ have any tattoos?”

“I have two.” Katara arched her brow and opened her mouth to ask him what they were, but he wagged a finger at her, a devilish smile on his lips. “Nope. It’s my turn. What’s your tattoo?”

Her cheeks burned. “It’s an...anchor. That says ‘sink or swim’. I got it with Suki over the summer.” She neglected to mention that she got it after she and her ex-boyfriend had broken up.

“That is  _ such _ a stereotypical tattoo for a girl. But, I think it fits you.” His smile was genuine.

Katara eyed him. “What about you?”

“I’ve got a dragon, here.” He gestured to his ribs on the right side. “And a phoenix here.” He pointed to the left side of his chest. Zuko looked over at her. The wolfish grin was back. “What about piercings?”

Katara blushed furiously. She was glad that it was dark. He certainly seemed to be enjoying their game. “Just my ears.”

“Hm.”

“What?” Katara quirked a brow at him.

His grin broadened. “I don’t know. You just seem like the kind of girl who’d get in a rebellious mood and get her nipples pierced or something.”

She resolutely refused to acknowledge the dagger of heat that stabbed her low in her belly. “Um. No. No nipple piercings here. Sorry to disappoint.” 

“Nah, I don’t think it’s disappointing at all. Some things are better left natural.” 

She turned the tables on him as the heat between her legs pulsed hotter. “Do  _ you _ have your nipples pierced?” 

  
  


His smile was all white teeth in the darkness. “You’ll have to catch me shirtless to find out.”

* * *

“Why did you move in with your uncle?” She asked the question softly, knowing she was treading in dangerous waters.

They had passed the last hour asking all sorts of questions of each other. He knew her favorite movie was  _ Dirty Dancing. _ She knew his favorite book was  _ The Art of War. _ He knew her favorite class, her favorite food, her favorite band. She knew his favorite type of alcohol was whiskey, that he slept without his shirt on, and that he had been on the track team in high school. 

Katara wondered what he was running from. 

Zuko’s answer was just as quiet. “Let’s just call it a difference of opinion.” 

“That’s not much of an answer.” She paused. “But I respect it.”

“Thank you.” He sounded genuine. When she caught his smile in the headlights, she saw it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Okay so...this next question may very well make or break our friendship, so consider your answer carefully.”

She grinned back. “Hit me.”

“Coke or Pepsi?”

Katara giggled. He was trying to stay on lighter topics. Katara would respect that...for now at least. “Pepsi.”

“Oof. I hate to break it to you, Kat, but I think you’re gonna have to walk home.” He peered over at her, a playful smile on his lips. “Do people call you Kat?”

“You only get one question per turn,” Katara reminded him with a laugh. “But I’ll let it slide this time. No. No one calls me Kat. Tara, but not Kat.” She hated that particular nickname, actually. But she found she didn’t hate it as much when he said it. “Alright, my turn. Favorite holiday?”

“I don’t really have one.”

Katara quirked a brow at him in disbelief. “Seriously? Everyone has a favorite holiday. It’s like, a universal thing.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Unless it’s just embarrassing. Like Valentine’s Day.”

“Valentine’s Day is for suckers. It shouldn’t even be considered a real holiday.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “If you insist on knowing, it’s actually Halloween.”

“I guess I should’ve known that.” She smirked. “I hear that you’re a horror movie buff.”

“Facts. What’s yours?”

“Winter Solstice,” Katara replied.

“And I should’ve known  _ that _ . That is so…” He trailed off and stifled a laugh behind his hand. 

“So what?” Katara prompted, a bit defensive. “Stereotypical?”

He didn’t hide his laugh very well. “Yes.”

Katara threw her hands up. “So I’m just a great big walking stereotype. Sue me. But I’ll have you know, I  _ hate _ pumpkin spice lattes.”

“Good to know.” His grin was wide.

Katara clapped her hands once. “Alright, enough of these boring questions. It’s time to dig deeper.” 

It was his turn to arch a brow. “Oh?”

“Tell me about your first kiss.”

She could see the mirth in the set of his mouth. “What do you want to know about it?”

“Everything. I live for the details.”

“There’s not much to tell.” He shrugged. “I was fourteen. She was a girl I met in Ba Sing Se. Her dad was friends with my uncle, and he would drag me along when he went to visit so she and I became friends. She’d...she had a scar too, from an accident when she was a kid. We sort of bonded over that. There was this old treehouse in her backyard. We used to go up there and read comic books and stuff. I don’t know. One day we just kissed.” Zuko shrugged again. “You?”

Katara took a moment to digest that before she answered his question. Zuko had never acknowledged his scar to her before, except for that one brief touch the day he’d taken her up to the wall. If he had it when he was fourteen...Katara wondered how long he had it, and how it had come to be.

“Some boy I went to high school with. We went to Homecoming together. He kissed me. It was...kind of horrible, actually.” Katara let out a laugh. “We bumped noses really hard, which kind of ruined it. And then he tried to grab my butt like, right after. Sokka ended up knocking out one of his teeth.”

“That’s rough,” Zuko snickered. “I hope your next one was better.”

Her next kiss had been her ex. While it was better in some ways, it was  _ not _ better in a lot of ways. Katara shrugged. 

“It’s your turn.”

“Oh, right.” Katara pursed her lips. “What celebrity did you have a crush on as a kid?”

“That’s easy. Megan Fox.”

She snorted in surprise. “Oh really? Now who’s the stereotype?”

“And I’m fine with that. Have you  _ seen _ her?”

“Mm, yes. But she’s not my type.” Katara cracked a grin.

Zuko quirked a brow. “What’s your type?”

Katara licked her lips. She wanted to say  _ nice guys _ . Guys like Aang. But looking at Zuko, with his tight jeans and rock music and the possibility of a V-line and sexy tattoos, Katara got the feeling that wasn’t really her type at all. She settled on the safest answer she could that wasn’t quite a lie, but wasn’t really the truth. A half-truth. 

“Smart and funny.” She smirked at him. “I’d ask what your type is, but if you had a crush on Megan Fox, I’d say it’s pretty obvious.”  _ Pretty obviously not me, _ she thought but didn’t say.

“Then you forfeit your question this round. My turn.” Without giving her an opportunity to protest, he asked, “Is that Air Nation kid your boyfriend?”

Katara stared at him. “Why would you think that?”

Zuko shrugged. His expression was as placid as a lake on a windless day. “I don’t know. Just seems kind of obvious he likes you. I guess I assumed.”

“He’s not,” Katara said. Color rose in her cheeks. “My boyfriend, I mean. Aang is just a friend.”

Zuko nodded slowly, as if digesting that. 

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Katara asked pointedly.

He smirked at her. “I thought you already declared that I was too much of a jerk to get any dates.” 

She rolled her eyes. “I was just joking. Sort of. Now answer my question.”

“No. No girlfriend here.” With one hand, he unscrewed the cap of his bottle of water and brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving the road.

“Are you gay, then?”

Zuko nearly choked on his drink. “What the hell, Kat? What kind of question is that? No, I am most definitely not gay.” Even in the dark she caught it when his eyes flickered to her chest. “Definitely straight.”

  
She smirked, satisfied that she had been able to rattle him. “Well, we  _ are _ playing Twenty Questions, so I just thought I’d ask.” 


	14. White Teeth Teens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Zuko finally make it to the hotel, and Sokka is suspicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not condone speeding or other forms of reckless driving. I only included it because it was a very Zuko thing to do.
> 
> Also, my beta and I have decided that we will be uploading 2-3 new chapters of this every three weeks for the time being, but I'll still be posting to The Fire and the Flood and The Proposal weekly.

_ We wouldn’t be seen dead here in the day. _

_ I guess we’re lucky that it’s dark now. _

_ And if I like it, then we’ll stay. _

_ Impress the empress, take a shot now. _

**_“White Teeth Teens” by Lorde_ **

* * *

They got to the hotel just after 12 a.m. 

During the last leg of their journey, the traffic had finally disappeared. Zuko had looked over at her, a wicked gleam in his eyes, and asked if she’d ever rode at a hundred miles per hour before. She’d said no, and then he asked if she would like to. Katara had surveyed the Challenger, with its black leather seats and blue dashboard lights, and impulsively, she said yes. Suddenly he had pressed down on the gas and she had watched the speedometer cruise up to triple digits. 

“Aren’t you worried a cop might pull you over?” Katara had asked. She had felt giddy. Whether it was the thrill of the ride or simply being tired, she didn’t know.

Zuko had smirked. “Nope.”

They had driven that pace until they reached the outskirts of the city. She almost couldn’t believe the sudden lack of traffic. They hadn’t gotten pulled over, at least.

Zuko carried their bags inside and checked them into the hotel. He grabbed their key cards and then they rode the elevator up to the third floor and found their room. Zuko flicked on the light and the two of them stepped inside.

The room was nice, though not grand by any means. There were two queen sized beds covered in white duvets, two dressers, a flat-screen TV mounted to the wall, and a small kitchenette with a microwave and a mini-fridge. A round table and two chairs sat in front of the wide window. The bathroom door was ajar, and Katara could see the fluffy white towels folded on the counter.

“This sure beats sleeping with the roaches,” Katara remarked as she drifted toward one of the beds. She flopped down and sank into the soft mattress with a satisfied sigh. “Thanks, Zuko. You were seriously a lifesaver today.”

“You’re welcome.” His voice was husky. He set her backpack on the bed next to her before he went over to his bed, the one closest to the window. He stretched, and Katara could hear the pop of his spine. “I forget what a long drive that is.”

“And we’ve got to do it again on Sunday.” Katara sat up and grabbed her backpack, searching for her pajamas and her toothbrush. “But I am exhausted. I’m going to get changed and then I’m passing out.”

Zuko stretched out on the bed with a deep sigh, tucking one hand behind his head while he scrolled on his phone with the other. “I second that.”

Katara disappeared into the bathroom, turning on the light and shutting the door. After relieving her cursed tiny bladder, she appraised the sleepwear she had brought, frowning at the pair of shorts and the old t-shirt she had packed. Of course, when she had packed, she hadn’t been planning on sharing her motel room with anyone but maybe Suki and Sokka, if they decided to crash with her. She hadn’t thought of it earlier when she had re-checked her bag.

“Too late now,” she mumbled to herself as she pulled her blouse off over her head.

Ten minutes later, dressed in her racy pajamas, with her hair combed, face washed, and teeth brushed, Katara exited the bathroom. She had opted to leave her bra on, and although it wouldn’t be comfortable, at least there was a modicum of propriety. Zuko’s eyes were still trained on his phone.

“So what time did you have to pick up your dad tomorrow…” He finally looked up at her and trailed off. His eyes quickly took in her short-shorts and t-shirt. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed when he brought his eyes up to her face. “So I can, you know, make myself scarce.” 

Katara, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, busied herself by putting her things away. But she had to admit she was pleased she’d been able to throw him off-guard. “Um, Sokka says Dad is supposed to land at ten a.m.” She sighed. “I guess I better find out if he got his car fixed or found one to borrow.”

“That might be a good idea.” Zuko got off the bed and grabbed his backpack before he headed into the bathroom.

Katara sat down on the edge of the bed and texted her brother.

K:  _ Made it safe and sound. Did you get your car fixed? _

S:  _ Nope. It’s sitting in the shop. Probably won’t be fixed until Monday.  _

S:  _ Who did you catch a ride with? _

K:  _ A friend. Zuko.  _

She was surprised he didn’t call her with a thousand questions. Instead, he just texted her in rapid-fire succession, too quick for her to text back.

S:  _ Your manager?!?! _

S: _ Do I need to give him the Big Brother talk?  _

S:  _ I want to meet this guy. TOMORROW. _

S:  _ He better not be defiling you. I’ll KILL HIM. _

Katara rolled her eyes and finally typed out a response to her brother.

K:  _ He’s just a friend. He is not defiling anything, and even if he was, it’s none of your business. _

S:  _ We’ll see. I’ll ask Suki about him. _

Katara groaned. She was too tired for this. She told Sokka as much, and bid him goodnight. Then she dug out her phone charger before setting her backpack on the floor. She plugged in the charger and set an alarm.

Just then, Zuko came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and his white t-shirt. She had a hard time not ogling him as she straightened and turned to face him. There was something about boys in sweatpants, and the way his were hanging low on his hips had her brain short-circuiting.

Zuko crossed the room and dropped his backpack to the floor, his phone charger already in his hand, apparently oblivious to her reaction. 

“I thought you said you don’t sleep with a shirt on,” Katara remarked, ignoring the flutter in her stomach. “Were you lying?”

Zuko looked up at her, flashing a crooked smirk. “Well, I think I’m pushing my luck just by sleeping in the same room as you. I really don’t feel like pushing my luck with the spirits. Y’know, in case your brother magically shows up early and decides he wants to fight me. That...would be bad.”

“I didn’t tell him which hotel we’re staying at for that exact reason,” Katara informed him with a grin. “Also, I love my brother, but I think you could take him.” She pulled back the soft white duvet and slipped underneath it. She rolled on her side to face Zuko and propped her head up on her hand. “You know...you can sleep with your shirt off if you’re more comfortable that way. It won’t bother me.”

Zuko chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “Wow...you really wanna see me with my shirt off, don’t you?”

Katara shrugged, ignoring the blush that rose in her cheeks. “I wanna see your tattoos. What can I say? You’ve piqued my curiosity.”

Zuko’s lopsided smirk never left his face as he crossed the room and turned off the light, and turned on the flashlight on his phone. When he passed by the foot of her bed, she could hear the smirk in his voice as he said, “I’m glad I have your permission. Good night, Kat.”

“Good night, Zuko.” She rolled onto her side facing away from him. 

She heard him take off his shirt. A moment later, it fell across her face and all she could smell was bamboo. Katara laughed as she pulled it away from her face and leaned up on one elbow to look at him.

Katara held up the shirt. “What the hell is this?” 

She caught the white of his grin illuminated by his phone’s flashlight, but it was too dim to see much else. “I expect that back in the morning.”

“Whatever!” Katara threw it back to him and settled back onto her pillow. 

The room grew dark as he turned off his flashlight, then she heard him get into his own bed. She was glad he couldn’t see the girlish smile on her face or the blush in her cheeks.

Katara set her alarm before she set her phone down, settling her head against the fluffy pillow. After a few minutes of trying to imagine what his tattoos looked like and if he had a six-pack, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Katara was pulled from the sweet bliss of sleep by the sound of her alarm quietly beeping by her head. She scrunched her eyes shut, wanting to hold onto the fragments of dreams already slipping from her fingers.

Headlights in the dark. French fries. Fall Out Boy. Golden eyes and a crooked smirk.

With a sigh she rolled over and turned off the alarm before she collapsed back onto the pillow, her eyes already closed and sleep reaching out to embrace her again. 

Then she realized she was not in her bed, and she remembered that yesterday wasn’t a dream and that it actually happened. And then she remembered she was going to see her dad today.

Katara bolted up onto her elbows and looked over to the other bed to see if Zuko was still sleeping, only to find his bed empty. The covers were pushed back and she could see the impression his head had left on the fluffy pillow. Then she registered the musky smell of bamboo and the sound of the bathroom fan.

Katara looked up and saw the bathroom door was closed and the light was on. She sat upright the rest of the way and stretched and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was seven a.m. How early had he gotten up? 

At that moment the bathroom door opened, and Zuko emerged in a thin cloud of steam. Shirtless.

Katara realized three things very quickly. The first was that Zuko did, indeed, have a six pack, two very sexy tattoos  _ and _ a sculpted V-line. The second was that he was even better looking with his shirt off and the waistband of his jeans hanging low on his lean hips than he was with his clothes on. And the third was that he did not, in fact, have his nipples pierced.

“Oh--Katara.” Zuko froze in the doorway. “I didn’t know you were up.” 

Katara didn’t miss the way his eyes widened fractionally as color rose in his cheeks when he saw her. Then the corner of his lips tugged up into a half-smirk as he crossed the room to his backpack and bent over to grab it. Katara saw the curve of his spine and the shift of the muscles in his shoulders when he did. 

Katara swallowed hard and tore her eyes away before he caught her staring. “Um, yeah. I just woke up.”

Zuko straightened and hurried back toward the bathroom. He paused in the doorway and leaned his forearm against the frame, and Katara couldn’t help but wonder if he knew how good that position made his abs look. She saw the razor in his hand and looked up at his face, where she could see the stubble on his jaw. Five o’clock shadow looked good on him. Better than it had any right to.

“I hope I didn’t wake you up,” he said, that half-smile still on his face.

Katara distracted herself with a fake yawn. “Nope. My alarm did.”

“Okay.” His eyes stayed on her for a moment longer. They seemed to be smoldering. “I’ll be done soon. Then it’s all yours.” His eyebrow quirked. “Unless you need it now?”

“Um, no, I’m good. I can wait until you’re done. Thanks.”

Katara watched the bathroom door close behind him. She flopped back onto the bed and pulled one of the pillows over her face to stifle a groan with her hand. Why?  _ Why _ did he have to look  _ so good?  _ What had she done to the spirits to receive this torture?

That so-called teeny, tiny crush of hers was growing little by little every time she talked to him, or saw him, or just...even  _ thought _ about him. She still hadn’t decided if that was a good or bad thing.

* * *

An hour later, they were in the lobby enjoying the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. Katara decided to take a shot at early morning conversation.

“So...nice tattoos,” Katara said, peering up at him from beneath her eyelashes with a soft smile.

The corner of his lips pulled up in a smirk. “Thanks. Maybe one day I’ll tell you the story behind them.” 

“What do you mean, ‘maybe’?” She gave him a faux pout.

This earned her a full-blown smirk from him. “I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours.”

She opened her mouth to reply when her phone vibrated. “Hold that thought.” She fished her phone out. She grimaced. 

“It’s my brother,” Katara said. “Hopefully he found a car. Be right back.” She got up from the table and headed into the lobby before she answered the call. “What’s up?”

“Hi, I got a ride. Lucky for us, I was able to borrow Hahn’s car. Are you ready to go? I want to get there early.” She could hear the excited undertone in his voice. Sokka was definitely happier to see their dad than she was. 

_ But he doesn’t have an ex-boyfriend to avoid talking about, nor does he have to sit through Dad’s questions about my new college,  _ Katara thought. “Wow, you want to get there early? Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

Sokka snorted. “I just wanna see Dad, okay? It’s been a while.”

“I know.” She glanced over her shoulder at Zuko. He was drinking coffee and scrolling on his phone. “But yeah, I’m ready.”

“Okay. Are you at that motel Suki set you up with? I hope you got that rez canceled.”

“I did, and no, I’m not.” She bit her lip. “I’m...at the Best Earth Kingdom.” She closed her eyes and awaited Sokka’s reaction.

“What? How in the hell can a broke college kid like you afford that?” Sokka’s tone was teasing, but she could hear his curiosity too. 

She rolled her eyes. But then she ducked her head, knowing exactly how the next words that were going to come out of her mouth would sound. “...Zuko paid for it.”

“Ah. Your friend. Zuko. Who is a guy. Who drove you  _ eight hours _ to your destination out of the  _ kindness of his heart _ , hm?”

“Who is also my  _ manager _ at my  _ job _ ,” Katara added pointedly, hoping to distract her brother from whatever he was hinting at. 

“ _ Ahhh _ . So your douchebag manager not only brought you down here, but he also paid for your room? Hmph. Ya know, I like the sound of this less and less, Katara.”

“It’s not like that. And as it turns out, he’s really not a douchebag. He just doesn’t make the best first impression.”

“I can tell. Because  _ my _ first impression of him is that he’s trying to bang my little sister.”

_ Actually, your first impression of him was that he was a moron,  _ Katara thought humorously as images of Zuko yelling back at her brother and calling him a princess came to mind.

“Sokka!” Katara admonished, her voice carrying through the empty lobby. She looked at Zuko and saw he was looking at her. She flashed him a smile, and he arched a brow curiously at her before he dropped his eyes back to his phone. She turned away from him. In a harsh whisper, she said, “He is  _ not  _ trying to sleep with me! And like I said last night, even if he was, it’s  _ none _ of your business. Now, are you coming to pick me up or what?”

His tone was clipped. “Yep, already on my way. I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” 

The line disconnected and Katara let out a quiet groan. She turned around and headed back toward the table she and Zuko were sharing. He looked up at her when she flopped into her seat.

“Is everything okay?” Zuko asked.

“Oh, everything is great. Except my brother is going to be here in fifteen minutes and he thinks that he has to  _ defend my honor. _ ” She rolled her eyes. “He’s convinced you’re trying to sleep with me.” Katara gave him an apologetic look. “You  _ might _ want to evacuate the premises before he gets here.”

To her surprise, Zuko only shrugged. “Eh, might as well lay his suspicions to rest.” 

Katara stared at him blankly. He was...going to meet her brother? Like...properly? And tell him he  _ wasn’t  _ trying to get in her pants? For some reason (okay, the reason  _ may _ have been her stupid crush) that admission hurt a little bit. 

“Oh,” was all she could manage to say.

Zuko frowned. “Unless you think that’s a bad idea. Because I’ll go, if you want me to.”

She forced herself to smile. “Nope. I mean...if you want to face my brother’s wrath, that is totally your choice.”

* * *

Sokka and Suki showed up promptly fifteen minutes later. Both girls squealed in excitement as soon as they saw each other, and Suki was the first to wrap Katara in a hug, and Katara returned it enthusiastically. It had only been a month since she had seen her, but Katara missed her best friend sorely.

“You look good!” Katara enthused when she pulled back. She tugged on a lock of bright blue hair poking through her friend’s chestnut locks. “When did this happen and why did I not know about it?”

“Because  _ someone _ has been too tired to video call me all week,” Suki returned with a grin. She leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “This guy is  _ hot. _ ”

Heat burned her cheeks and Katara looked over at Zuko, who stood just behind her. He was wearing his typical form-fitting jeans, gray t-shirt, and all-black Chuck Taylors. His hair was styled in his typical just-rolled-out-of-bed fashion. Katara would be lying if she said he wasn’t hot.

He and Sokka were engaged in a staring contest.

“Right.” Katara stepped away from Suki. “Sokka, this is my  _ friend _ , Zuko. Zuko, this is my meathead brother, Sokka.”

She had left Sokka the perfect opportunity to make a defensive joke to ease some of the tension, but he ignored it. Instead he stepped closer to Zuko, his gaze never wavering, and held out his hand. Zuko shook it. Katara watched them both flex their arms as they sized each other up. Katara rolled her eyes at the male posturing. She and Suki exchanged a knowing, exasperated look.

“Thanks for bringing Katara down, man,” Sokka said as the two of them released each other. His eyes never left Zuko, and she could see the way his gaze flickered to the scar, and Katara wondered if he realized that it was Zuko who had nearly hit his car when he dropped her off at school. “I appreciate it.”

“No worries,” Zuko replied evenly. “She told me you guys were supposed to see your dad. I thought that was a pretty big deal for her.” He shrugged, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Besides, I know she’d do the same for me.”

Sokka looked down at her with a smirk. “Yeah, she would. Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes.” Apparently, a joke at  _ her  _ expense was all he needed.

Katara rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulder roughly. “Oh, shut up, Sokka. Shouldn’t we be going?”

Sokka checked the time on his watch. “Yeah, we should.” He glanced over at Zuko again. “It was good meeting you. See you around.”

Katara watched her brother walk away with mild shock. He was being  _ nice?  _ And using his  _ manners?  _ She almost couldn’t believe it. 

Then she turned toward Zuko and offered him a small smile. “I’ll see you later.”

“Have a good time, Kat.” His expression was unreadable.

“Thanks.”

Katara followed Suki and her brother out to the parking lot. She recognized Hahn’s silver Mustang right away and let out a groan.

“You couldn’t have found something better?” Katara griped. Climbing in and out of the backseat all day didn’t sound fun. She hated coupes. Her eyes darted to the Challenger, a few rows away. Well, except for one.

“It was the best I could do on short notice,” Sokka snapped as he opened the driver door and pulled the seat up. “Now get in and shut up.”

Katara rolled her eyes but got in, buckling up in the backseat as Suki and Sokka sat down up front. Soon Sokka was driving toward the airport. Suki twisted in her seat and sent Katara a smile.

“So Zuko seems nice,” she said.

Katara sent her a warning look with her eyes.  _ Not in front of Sokka!  _ “He is,” Katara hedged.

“Real nice,” Sokka muttered as he switched lanes. “Almost  _ too _ nice. Offering to bring you down here? Paying for your hotel room? Hmph.” His eyes flickered to her in the rear view mirror. “And he’s that jerk who almost hit my car when I dropped you off, isn’t he? I thought I recognized that Challenger back at the hotel.”

“ _ I  _ asked  _ him _ for a ride, Sokka,” Katara corrected irately. “If you bothered to get your car in for a tune-up regularly like Dad told you to,  _ you _ would have been able to come and get me.”

“I blew a gasket! The Suburban is  _ old. _ Stuff breaks,” Sokka said defensively. He scowled at her in the rear view mirror. “Maybe it’s time  _ you _ get your own car instead of letting your license go to waste.”

“Shut up, Sokka.” Katara looked out of the small window as she crossed her arms over her chest, fuming. 

“Come on, guys. We haven’t been together in a month and you’re already fighting?” Suki looked between them placatingly. She was used to playing the peacemaker between the siblings. “Katara made it. The Suburban is getting fixed. We’re about to go pick up your dad, who, need I remind you, you guys haven’t seen in almost a  _ year _ . Let’s be happy, okay?”

Katara acquiesced with a sigh. “Alright. Fine.” Suki was right, of course. 

“You’re right, babe,” Sokka muttered. He caught Katara’s eye in the rear view mirror. “But I’m still not convinced that Zuko is Mr. Nice Guy. Nice Guys don’t get scars like that.”

Katara bristled. “Sokka! How can you say that? You don’t know him at all. For all you know, it was some horrible accident!”

“Someone’s touchy,” Sokka muttered under his breath.

“How did that happen, anyway?” Suki swiveled in her seat to ask her.

“I don’t know,” Katara replied curtly. “He hasn’t told me. And it’s not polite to ask.” She sent Sokka a pointed look. “So don’t even think about asking about it.”

“I won’t, I won’t.” He held up one hand as a peace offering. “Still. That’s got to be a hell of a story.”

Katara thought about what she knew of Zuko, frowning. She’d be lying if she said that her own curiosity wasn’t burning her up about it. No matter how long they played Twenty Questions, there was still so much she didn’t know about Zuko. And questions about stuff like that...well, it wasn’t appropriate to ask during a silly game.

Because the biggest parts of himself were the ones he kept to himself. Katara wondered if he would ever tell her.

But then she saw the airport coming into view, and all she could think about was finally seeing her dad.

* * *

Their dad hadn’t changed too much in the last eight months, but Katara could see the small differences. There was more gray at his temples and the laugh lines around his mouth were a little more pronounced, but his eyes still sparkled the same shade of blue as Katara and Sokka’s, and they lit up when Hakoda saw his children.

“Dad!” Sokka was the first to embrace him, and the two shared a bone-crushing hug for a moment before they pulled back. “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, son.” Hakoda turned to Katara with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take you to college, kiddo. I really wanted to.”

Katara blinked back the tears that suddenly stung her eyes. “It’s okay, Dad. Sokka managed to get me there in one piece.” 

Hakoda chuckled. “Good.” Then he pulled her into a hug. 

The familiar smell of his cologne, and the embrace of his arms that had always felt like home, made any ill feelings she had toward him fall away. Katara snuggled her head against his shoulder. 

“I missed you, Dad.”

“I missed you too, Katara.” She felt him kiss the top of her head, like he always did when she was young. He pulled back and held her at arm’s length. “You look well, kiddo.”

Katara smiled at him. “Thanks. You too.”

Hakoda released her and turned to Suki. “And aren’t you a sight for sore eyes! Come here!” 

Sokka and Katara exchanged a look while Hakoda and Suki hugged. It was good to see him. It didn’t matter that they were grown up now. They would always need their dad.


	15. Bad Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara enjoys a day with her family, despite Sokka's wariness of Zuko. And Suki can't help but meddle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's favorite author is a great big dum-dum and somehow, SOMEHOW, didn't realize that she was sitting on a completely edited chapter, ready to be delivered to her dear readers for TWO DAYS? Your favorite author, dear reader. (At least I hope I'm your favorite...if not, that's okay too.)

* * *

_ Oh, but how were we to know that these are the days  _

_ That binds you together, forever? _

_ And these little things define you forever, forever? _

_ All this bad blood here, won’t you let it dry? _

_ It’s been cold for years, won’t you let it lie? _

**_“Bad Blood” by Bastille_ **

* * *

They went out for lunch at their favorite noodle restaurant. They were seated at a booth by the window, with Sokka and Suki on one side and Katara and Hakoda on the other. The waitress brought out menus and the conversation was limited to discussing which bowl of noodles everyone wanted.

Katara’s mind drifted to Zuko. She wondered what he was doing. Was he working on homework back at their hotel? Or was he taking advantage of their brief reprieve from Ba Sing Se to enjoy what Gaoling had to offer? He hadn’t said what he would be doing, and she hadn’t thought to ask, so she couldn’t help but wonder.

“Hm?” Katara looked up, realizing her dad had said something to her. 

“I asked how school was going,” Hakoda repeated. “Sokka said you got a job at a tea shop. Do you like it?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. It’s great,” Katara answered with a smile. “It’s not much different than working at a Starbucks.”

Hakoda smiled. “That’s good. How are your classes?”

“They’re fine. I’m doing pretty well so far.”

Sokka interrupted to say something about one of his courses, and Katara turned her attention back to the menu, although she already knew what she was going to order. A foot nudged hers under the table and Katara glanced up to meet Suki’s eyes. Her dad and brother were now engrossed in hockey plays, so Suki took the opportunity to mouth,  _ we need to talk. Now. _ Katara sighed inwardly.

“I need the ladies’ room,” Suki said, batting her eyelashes at Sokka. She turned to Katara. “Will you come with me?”

Katara knew there was no getting out of it, so she put on a smile. “Sure!”

Sokka looked back at their dad with a snort. “Girls, am I right?”

The two girls gave the guys their order before they slipped out of the booth and headed for the bathrooms. As soon as they were alone, Suki turned toward her. 

“You did not tell me Zuko was that freaking hot!” Suki exclaimed, pushing Katara’s shoulder. “If I’d known that man was a walking  _ god _ , I would’ve told you to hop on the Zuko Express  _ days _ ago.” She scowled. “And what was that about him being an jerk? He seems like a perfect gentleman.”

“He is, when he’s not being a jerk.” Katara planted her fists on her hips. “He  _ was _ a jerk. And now he’s not.”

“Because, obviously, he _ likes _ you.”

Katara turned away from Suki and leaned against the sink. “No, he doesn’t. I’m not his type.”

“Oh, whatever.  _ You _ didn’t see the way he looked at you when we picked you up at the hotel,” Suki retorted. Katara watched her waggle her eyebrows in the mirror. 

“Seriously?” Katara tried to keep the hopeful tone out of her voice, but she was pretty sure she failed miserably. “Wh-what makes you say that? How did he look at me?”

Suki shrugged. “Like, he was bummed to see you go. Don’t play dumb. You know how guys look when they’re around a girl they like.” She arched her brow. “So, are you guys sharing a hotel room or what?”

“Suki!” Color rose in her cheeks. Katara spun around.

Suki gasped. A grin creased her face. “You  _ are _ , aren’t you?”

“It’s not what you think!” Katara rushed to explain. “There was only one room left because of some convention or something. And there are  _ two _ beds.” Katara scowled at Suki and jabbed a finger at her. “And if you breathe a  _ word _ of this to Sokka or my father, I will end you.”

“Oh, I won’t say anything. I don’t want to mess up your perfect opportunity to tame that dragon.” Suki started for the door. “But I’m telling you, Tara. That boy has the hots for you. Trust me.”

Katara glared at the back of her best friend’s head as she followed her out of the bathroom, unable to think of anything to say, and unsure if she should allow herself to feel hopeful or not. 

* * *

After lunch, they drove around Gaoling to take in the sights, and to take a trip down memory lane. They drove past the house they had lived in, and the park they used to play at. Nostalgia overcame them as they regaled Suki with stories from when Sokka and Katara were kids. 

Hakoda had filled them in on what had been going on in his life as well. It seemed that illegal smuggling was becoming a huge issue, with large cartels that were basically small armies causing trouble for the navy. Katara and Sokka were worried, but Hakoda assured them that he rarely saw true combat. 

Later they spent the afternoon at an Earth Rumble VI match, which was one of Sokka and Hakoda’s favorite pastimes. Katara found that she was happy there, sitting with her father and brother. It felt like it had been too long since the three of them were together. Wrestling was something Hakoda would take them to see every time he was home from deployment, and having Suki along was an added bonus. 

For Katara, Gaoling was home just as much as the South Pole was. Hakoda had moved them there a year after their mom passed away. The South Pole was too painful for all of them, and they needed a fresh start. But a year after that, Hakoda had re-enlisted in the Navy to help support them. Gran-Gran had moved up from the South Pole to take care of Katara and Sokka while Hakoda was away on deployments. 

After the kids had grown up and gone to college, Gran-Gran had moved back home. It had been years since they had seen their grandmother. But since flights to the South Pole didn’t come cheap, Sokka had stayed with friends during his summer breaks. Katara had spent part of last summer on Kyoshi with Suki, and then had crashed with Sokka at Hahn’s cruddy two-bedroom apartment.

Katara suspected now that Hakoda had re-enlisted because the distance was still not enough. 

But did he have to leave his kids behind? Katara had always tried to understand why their father left, but it was hard, even now. They all missed Kya. And their father being gone didn’t make it any easier on any of them. It had still hurt.

The bell signaling the end of the match brought Katara’s thoughts back to the present and they stood up to go. Sokka was disappointed that his favorite wrestler, The Boulder, lost to an up-and-comer named the Blind Bandit, and he whined about it all the way through the souvenir stand and out to the car, at which point Hakoda finally asked why Sokka was driving a different car. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask, what happened with the Suburban?” Hakoda inquired.

Katara felt her stomach drop. She didn’t know why she cared if her father knew Zuko had given her a ride, but for some reason she did. It was ridiculous. She was an adult, for spirits’ sake! But she was relieved nonetheless when Sokka didn’t say anything about Zuko.

“Oh...that. I blew a head gasket on the way to pick up Katara,” Sokka replied sheepishly. “So I borrowed a buddy’s car.”

Hakoda frowned. “Sokka, I told you to take care of that car.”

Sokka sighed dramatically. “You don’t have to tell me, Dad. Katara already ripped me a new one about it.”

Hakoda offered a grin to her. “That’s my girl.”

Katara gave a cheesy grin and Suki laughed before they all got into the borrowed Mustang.

With evening approaching, they decided on dinner at the only restaurant in the city that served South Pole cuisine. It was a bit of a drive away from where the rumble match had been held, but time passed quickly as Katara listened to her brother and father rehashed the match. 

Once they were seated and had ordered their meals, Katara felt a sense of longing as she nibbled on sea prunes and sautéed blubbered seal meat.

She got a text near the end of the meal from Aang.

A:  _ Missed you for Cards night. Hope the trip is going well. _

K:  _ It is, thanks. How was your meet? _

A:  _ Great. Set two new personal records. _

“You know, Katara, it’s rude to be on your phone at dinner,” Sokka remarked haughtily.

Katara snorted, but she put her phone away. “You sound like Gran-Gran.”

“Remember when she used to make us turn our phones off and put them in the middle of the table?” Sokka chortled at the memory.

“Spirits, yes.  _ Family bonding _ and all of that,” Katara chuckled.

“Speaking of Gran-Gran, I told your brother that I was going to try to go down to the South Pole for the Winter Solstice,” Hakoda stated, turning toward Katara. “I was hoping the two of you—three of you, if you want to go, Suki—would come down, too.”

Katara’s eyes lit up. “Dad! That would be amazing! I haven’t been home in... _ years. _ ” Their last trip to the South Pole had been when Katara was sixteen, as a graduation gift to Sokka. “I’d love to go.”

“Me too,” Sokka said, an excited grin on his face. He looked at Suki. “What do you say, babe?”

“I’ll try,” Suki said with a happy smile. “I’d love to visit the South Pole.”

“Great, I’ll get that taken care of then.” Hakoda looked at their mostly-empty plates. “What do we say we call it a night? It’s been a good day, and you kids have a long drive tomorrow.” 

Hakoda was staying in a motel close to the airport so he could fly out again on Monday morning. Katara was suddenly glad she and Zuko had stayed at BEK and not the other motel by the airport. 

“No, we don’t. Only Katara does,” Sokka said as he shoveled the last bite of sea urchin into his mouth.

Katara could have kicked him. They had gotten through the entire day without bringing Zuko up one time. Then her brother had to open his big mouth.

Hakoda frowned. “You didn’t go get your sister? I thought you said you were.”

“That  _ was _ the plan, until I blew that head gasket in the Suburban. Katara caught a ride with a friend,” Sokka explained hastily, catching his sister’s frosty glare. “I wasn’t able to get Hahn’s car until he got off of work last night.”

“Hm, guess you should take better care of your car, then.” He glanced over at Katara. “Well, that was nice of your friend to bring you down. That drive is no joke. Did you meet them at college?”

Katara was grateful that her dad didn’t ask for any specifics. Maybe he was finally realizing—where Sokka failed or refused to—that Katara was a grown woman capable of making her own choices.

“Yeah, I did,” Katara replied. She still decided to throw her dad a bone, so he wouldn’t ask any questions. “We share a class and we’ve done some projects together. And, funny enough, we work together too.”

Hakoda smiled at her. “I’m glad you’re making some friends, Katara.”

She smiled back. “Me too.” She breathed an internal sigh of relief. Potential crisis: averted.

  
  


Sokka headed toward her hotel after they dropped their dad off. The goodbye had been emotional, but it was comforting to know that goodbye wouldn’t be so long this time. Katara glanced at the car’s clock as they started back for the hotel and saw it was a little past 8 pm.

“What do you say to a movie at your hotel before me and Suki head out, Katara?” Sokka asked.

Katara felt a lick of panic in the pit of her stomach. “Uh, I don’t know, Sokka. I’m pretty tired and we have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow…” Her eyes bore holes into the back of Suki’s head, imploring her to talk her brother out of it. “I should really get to bed early.”

“Oh, yeah, like you  _ ever _ go to bed early. Everyone knows you’re a night owl,” Sokka said, waving her off. “Besides, I wanna get to know this Zuko guy better. I’m not at BSSU to keep an eye on him for you, so I’ll take what opportunities I can.” He glanced over at Suki. “What do you say, babe?”

Suki peered back at Katara. She shook her head fractionally, but Suki’s face split into a grin. “Sure! I’m down for a movie.”

Katara cursed them both. Then she took out her phone and sent Zuko a text.

K:  _ Warning. My brother and his gf want to watch a movie and you’re invited.  _

Zuko’s response was immediate.

Z:  _ Are you serious? You didn’t tell him we were sharing a room did you? _

K:  _ Are you crazy?!  _

K:  _ I’ll just tell them we’ll watch the movie in my room. Hide your backpack in the cupboard. And make sure your bed doesn’t look slept in please!!! _

Z:  _ How much time do I have? _

K:  _ Fifteen minutes tops _

Z:  _ Aye-aye, Captain. _

Katara covered her snort with a laugh. Sokka looked at her in the rear view mirror.

“You okay, sis?”

Katara waved him off. “I’m fine. We’re going to watch the movie in my room.”

Sokka shrugged. “Fine by me.”

* * *

An hour and a half later, the four of them were in Zuko’s hotel room halfway through some action movie Sokka had picked out on the flat screen TV. None of them had argued against his choice, but Katara was dreadfully bored. She didn’t understand the plot. She just knew there were a lot of explosions and muscled men toting guns were running around shirtless.

Sokka and Suki were snuggled up on her bed. Katara was sitting cross-legged on top of the duvet on Zuko’s bed, and he had claimed one of the chairs from the small table by the window and had set it at the foot of his bed. Katara could only see the left side of his profile, but she could tell he wasn’t entirely hating this.

To her surprise (and chagrin), Zuko and Sokka were...actually getting along. Katara hadn’t decided if that was a good or a bad thing. 

Between explosions on the screen, Sokka was nonchalantly grilling Zuko about everything from his major to his favorite sports team. He seemed to really take a shine to him when Zuko told him he liked hockey. 

Zuko took it all in stride, answering all of her brother’s questions. Katara was relieved when Sokka didn’t ask any serious questions. Like how Zuko got his scar.

When the movie was halfway through, Katara inconspicuously texted Zuko. 

K:  _ Sorry about my brother. He’s nosy.  _

She watched Zuko check his phone. His head turned fractionally in her direction, just enough so she could see the slight curve of his lips. He texted her back.

Z:  _ It’s not that bad. He’s kind of funny. _

K:  _ If you think that qualifies as a sense of humor, you have led a sheltered life.  _

She saw the slight shake in Zuko’s shoulders as he laughed silently at her reply. Katara smiled behind her hand.

Finally, the movie was over. Katara made a point to stretch and yawn deeply. She looked over at Suki and Sokka and put on her best sleepy smile.

“Well, that was fun, but we really should be going to bed now. We’re heading out pretty early,” Katara said.

Suki took the hint. “Yeah, she’s right, babe.” She slid off the bed and sent Katara a wink when neither of the boys were looking, which Katara pointedly ignored. “Besides, I still have a crap-ton of homework to do.”

Sokka stood up and slid his feet into his boots. “Alright, alright.” He looked over at Zuko. “Get her home safe, will you?”

Zuko threw a mock salute. “Scout’s honor.” He stood up and headed for the door. “I’ll uh, see you in the morning, Katara.”

She caught his drift, and nodded along. “Yep. Have a good night.”

As he passed by Sokka and Suki, Zuko offered his hand to Sokka. “It was nice to meet you both.”

“Likewise.” Sokka shook the proffered hand and gave an affirming nod.

Zuko ducked out of the room. Katara hugged Sokka and Suki before they left, and once they were gone she let out a sigh of relief. A few minutes later, Zuko came back to the room. She offered him a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about that. Sokka is…” Katara trailed off, searching for the right word. Not finding one, she shrugged. “He’s Sokka.”

“It’s okay. Really. He’s not that bad. And his girlfriend is nice.” Zuko flashed her a smile. “Are you ready to get to bed? I want to be out of here pretty early tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll beat the traffic.”

Katara covered a yawn with her hand. “Yeah, I’m definitely ready for bed.” 

She grabbed her backpack, which had been left by her bedside table. She unzipped it to grab her pajamas and froze when she saw something new laying on top of her clothes. She scowled as she registered the blue condom wrappers. Suki must have snuck those in when Sokka was in the bathroom. That girl was too sneaky.

“Are you okay?”

Katara realized she had been scowling into her backpack for too long. She quickly shoved the condoms deeper into her backpack and pulled out her pajamas. “Um, yeah, I’m fine. I’m uh, gonna go get ready for bed now.”

Katara ducked into the bathroom. As soon as the door was shut she grabbed her phone and sent a furious text to Suki.

K:  _ Are you kidding me?! How did you sneak condoms into my bag without anyone noticing?!?? _

Suki’s reply was instantaneous.

S:  _ You’re welcome ;) _

S:  _ Also I did it when Sokka was in the bathroom and you were too busy checking Zuko out to notice me.  _

K:  _ I seriously hate you. _

S:  _ No you don’t. Slay that dragon! _

S:  _ I hope 2 is enough! _

Katara didn’t even entertain her with a response. Instead she stripped out of her clothes and yanked on her shorts, fuming. Then Katara paused as she looked at the tank top she had originally packed, remembering what Suki had said about Zuko. Before she lost her nerve, Katara pulled it on over her head. Then she brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and washed her face.

By the time she was done, she was feeling a little better. Suki was just trying to help her out, she told herself as she left the bathroom, even if it wasn’t totally welcome. 

Zuko was still sitting in the chair and was scrolling through his phone. When he finally looked up, she watched his eyes quickly trail the length of her long legs before finally reaching her face. Was he...checking her out? 

His mouth twitched in a smirk as he stood up. He grabbed his sweatpants, which he had set, neatly folded, on the corner of the bed. Katara offered him a smile in return as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Katara climbed under the duvet and plugged in her phone before she set her alarm. 

A few minutes later Zuko emerged from the bathroom, shirtless this time around. Katara peeked at him as he crossed the room to turn off the light. She hadn’t allowed herself a good look that morning, so she allowed her eyes to drift across his sculpted chest, down to his hips, and back up again over his abs. He really was deliciously muscled, lean and wiry. And she was pleased to see that she had been right about his happy trail. 

Katara rolled onto her side, but he caught her eye as he flicked off the light. 

“Bright and early,” he said huskily.

Katara ignored the fluttering in her stomach. “Bright and early.” She leaned up on her elbow as he walked by the foot of her bed. “I guess you don’t have your nipples pierced after all.”

He chuckled in response. “Good night, Katara.”

She laid down on her pillows, a smile creasing her face. “Good night, Zuko.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm excited to announce that my amazing beta, FireLadyFae, and I will be joining the Zutara Big Bang 2021! If you don't know what it is, you should check out the blog over on Tumblr. I'm super excited to be joining in, and I've got a great story idea cooking for it. And, of course, we have another Zutara writing fest coming up in April. With all of that being said, postings for PWF and my other works may slow down. But rest assured, I won't abandon them!


	16. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko dishes out some payback with some hard-hitting questions on the drive home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this?? An update after just five days?? Whaaaat???
> 
> I know it is but a thin wisp of a chapter, BUT....we are starting to get to the interesting parts of the story (I know what you're thinking: "but, savage_daughter, hasn't this already BEEN interesting?" Yes, of course it has, but we are getting close to the chapters you've all been waiting for. Prepare to have some questions answered as more take their place, as I am but a cruel, cruel writer and I can't give all my secrets away. *evil laugh and hand-rubbing before scurrying away into the night*
> 
> **Also content warning for underage drinking. Don't drink kids!**

* * *

_Be careful making wishes in the dark._

_Can’t be sure when they’ve hit their mark._

_And besides, in the meantime I’m just dreaming of tearing you apart._

_I’m in the details with the Devil._

_So now the world can never get me on my level._

_I just got to get you out of the cage._

_I’m a young lover’s rage._

_Gonna need a spark to ignite._

— **_“My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark” by Fall Out Boy_ **

* * *

“So, are you ready for another round of Twenty Questions to get us through this long drive home?” Katara quipped as she buckled into the passenger seat of the Challenger the next morning.

Zuko smirked over at her. “What could you possibly ask me that you haven’t already?”

“I’m sure I can think of something.” She eyed him with a curious smirk. “What, are you saying there’s nothing else you want to ask  _ me _ ?”

“Please. You’re an open book.” He turned the car on and reversed out of the spot. When Zuko was right in his seat again, he smirked at her again. “But, if you insist, I’ll play along.”

Katara mockingly put her hand over her heart. “Oh, you are too kind.”

“Oh no, don’t sound so excited. Today, I’m not holding back.” There was humor in his voice. Katara wondered what types of questions he planned on asking her.

She quirked a brow at him. “Oh? So does that mean I don’t have to hold back either?” 

“That’s up to you.” Zuko pulled out into the early morning traffic. 

It was barely 7 am. Zuko had woken her up an hour before. He had already been dressed (she cursed herself for missing an opportunity to see him without his shirt on again) and was packed. Katara had grumbled through her morning routine until Zuko had planted her in front of the coffee machine in the breakfast lounge. 

“Not much of a morning person, are you?” He murmured in her ear as she had poured her cup.

“I think I mentioned that not long after we met,” Katara had replied.

His crooked smirk had done more to wake her than the subsequent coffee as it sent her heart thundering in her chest. “Hm, I think I remember that.”

Now Katara pursed her lips. “Fine. I’ll play ball. Ask me whatever you want.”

Zuko gave a smirk of triumph before he asked his first question. “First time you ever got drunk?” 

Katara wrinkled her nose. “That is not a pleasant memory.” She let out a little laugh. “Picture it: I was 15, sophomore year. Sokka had just led our football team to victory for the Homecoming game against our rivals. One of the other teammates is throwing a kegger out in the woods. We go, and proceed to get so falling-down drunk that Sokka loses his pants and I end up throwing up all over the captain of the basketball team—who was hot as hell, I might add.”

“Oof, that’s rough.” Zuko snickered. 

“I don’t think my social status ever recovered from that.” She snorted. “What about you?” 

It was his turn to laugh. “Oh, it was not much better. I was...14, I think? Me and that girl I was telling you about—”

“Your first kiss.”

“—right. She snuck a bottle of her dad’s sake up to the treehouse and we spent an afternoon in the baking heat drinking it. We were both sloshed out of our minds when her mom called us down for dinner.” He made a displeased face. “She’d made fish. We both threw up right there on the kitchen floor. It didn’t take long for them to figure out what we’d been doing.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Her dad forbade me from ever seeing her again.”

“Harsh,” Katara remarked. “But...understandable.”

“Not as harsh as the hangover I had the next day. Which my uncle spent loudly playing the tsungi horn.” He chuckled. “I don’t drink much. Probably because of that.”

“I don’t drink much either. If I hadn’t thrown up on him, I’m sure I would’ve been making out with him instead before the night was over.” Katara sighed wistfully. 

“And that train of thought leads me to my next question. Worst date?”

Katara arched a brow at him. “What makes you think I’ve been on enough dates to have a bad one?”

Zuko snorted. “Don’t play around like that, Kat. You’re too pretty enough to have not been on enough dates to have had at least  _ one  _ that ended badly.”

Katara relished the warm feeling in her belly.  _ He thinks I’m pretty? _ Katara hid her smile by looking out the window. But her expression darkened when she thought about her worst date. She couldn’t tell him. So she opted not to.

“I’m gonna use my trump card,” Katara said hesitantly. “I’ve been on some good ones, but...I don’t really want to talk about the worst one.” She peeked over at him. “What about you?”

He grimaced. “My worst date was with my ex. Let’s just say it ended up with me in a fountain with a dead fish on my head.” 

Katara snorted out a laugh. “Ouch.” She grinned wickedly. “What did you do? Try to feel her up under the table?”

“No. I uh…” Was he blushing? Katara thought so. “I was actually breaking up with her.” He was rubbing the back of his neck again. “She sort of pushed me into a fountain. I really don’t know where the dead fish came from, but she threw it at me. My ego definitely took a hit.”

“Well, I don’t agree with pushing others into fountains  _ or _ throwing dead fish at them, but I don’t blame her for being upset,” Katara remarked. “Why would you break up with her on a date? You know, stuff like that is what makes people think you’re a jerk.”

“Yeah, I know. Definitely not my proudest moment.” Zuko cleared his throat. “Remember a few weeks ago when you asked if I’ve lived in Ba Sing Se all this time?”

“Yeah. You said it was, and I quote, ‘complicated’,” Katara answered.

Zuko nodded. “It was. I lived with my uncle from the time I was thirteen until my senior year of high school. Then...my dad and sister reached out. I thought…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Anyway, I went back to the Fire Nation. I almost finished my senior year out there, but I came back instead.”

Katara had forgotten the rules of the game. He didn’t correct her. “What made you come back?”

She mostly expected him to remind her of the rules, to deflect the question. Or maybe he would just refuse to answer it. So Katara was quite surprised when he actually answered it.

“I didn’t want the life my dad was trying to force on me.” His voice was quiet and his eyes were trained solidly to the road ahead. He made a derisive sound that was some mix of growl and laugh. “He had my future all planned out. It was everything I always wanted...but I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t me.”

Zuko was being vague. Katara didn’t know if he was doing it intentionally or not. She wanted to ask more, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. They were quiet for several moments. 

He let out a sigh. “Well, that definitely deviated from your question. Sorry about that.”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Without thinking about it, she touched his forearm. Zuko stiffened suddenly as he looked over at her, and she quickly withdrew her hand. “Sorry.”

He tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I started it. No reason to apologize.”

Katara smiled kindly at him. “We all have things we don’t like to talk about.” Her thoughts drifted to her ex. Katara quickly pushed them away. “And that’s okay.”

He nodded, his eyes trained back on the highway. His idea to leave early and beat the traffic was paying off: there were few cars on the road. Zuko was cruising along with the speedometer at 80.

“Okay, to make it fair, you can ask me anything,” Katara told him.  _ I’m probably going to regret this,  _ she thought immediately after she said it.

He glanced over at her, his eyebrow arched and a devilish smile tugging at the corner of his lips. All signs of his previous stupor were gone. “Anything?”

Katara only hesitated for a moment. “Anything.”

He pursed his lips thoughtfully as he looked back at the road. “Hm...I’m going to have to think about that for a while. I’m not wasting that opportunity.” He flashed a grin at her again. 

“Should I be worried?”

“Mm…Maybe.”

* * *

Time ticked unnervingly by as Zuko contemplated his question. Katara’s mind was in a whirlwind as she tried to run through what he might ask, and how she would answer. And, as she thought about what sort of questions she would ask Zuko, if she had the same opportunity, she grew more leery. 

She was about to break the nerve-wracking tension with a question of her own when he finally spoke up. 

“Okay...here it is…” His eyes cut to her. “Just remember...you said anything.”

Katara swallowed hard over the dryness in her throat. “Ask away.”

“How many guys have you slept with?”

Katara gaped openly at him as a furious blush rose in her cheeks, incredulous at the question. “Wow...you weren’t kidding about not holding back, were you?” she managed to say.

A wolfish grin curved his lips. “Nope. I figured it was only fair to make you squirm, since you’ve put me on the spot before.”

Katara scowled at him. “I didn’t  _ mean _ to, jerk.” 

“Hey, you said I could ask you anything, so I did,” Zuko returned with a shrug.

Katara arched her brow. “And what makes you think talking about this would make me squirm?”

“Well...since your face is as red as a tomato, I think I have my answer.” He leered at her. “Now, answer my question.”

Katara looked away, unable to meet his gaze. “Just...one guy. My ex. That’s it.” Her eyes flickered to him. “Now you answer the question.”

“Oh no, I don’t think that was part of the deal.”

“It most definitely wasn’t  _ not  _ part of the deal,” Katara countered confidently. She crossed her arms over her chest and arched her brow at him. “So tell me, how many girls have you slept with?”

Zuko looked over at her, his face the perfect mask of innocence. “Me? Have  _ sex?  _ Nah, I don’t do that. I’m a virgin.”

Katara snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, okay, and I’m the Dali Lama.” She gave him a pointed look. “Seriously.”

“You sure you wanna know?” Zuko asked. “What if it’s some crazy high number and you never look at me the same again?”

Katara blanched, taken aback by that response. She couldn’t say she would be  _ surprised _ if he’d slept with his fair share of people, but would that change the way she felt about him? Katara didn’t think so. But it might affect how confident she felt about herself, not even knowing if she was his type at all.

  
  


“I’m just messing with you, Katara.” He met her gaze briefly. “The answer is three. Just three.” He shot her a teasing grin. “But it was very satisfying watching you sweat it out over there for a minute, though.”

Katara gave him an annoyed look, to which he chuckled lightly. 

“You make the best faces when you’re upset,” Zuko remarked, his lips turned up in a half-smirk. “But I guess you can consider it payback for asking if I was gay.” He peered over at her. “And for the record, I wouldn’t have looked at you any differently if your number had been higher.” 

Katara offered him a warm smile. She found, once again, that he never failed to surprise her. 

She wondered if the rest of the drive could be so interesting. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, who do YOU guys think Zuko has slept with? I'll tell you who with the next update ;)


End file.
